


Sinners Reaching for Avalon

by Tren



Category: Fate/Zero
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Loyalty, Servant Swap, Temptation, Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 50,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tren/pseuds/Tren
Summary: Due to his mentor's mistake Kirei Kotomine ends up summoning Saber, which puts him at the forefront of Holy Grail War. Will a wishless Master like him be able to find common ground with a determined Servant like Saber? And will two of them survive the violence and madness of Holy Grail War?
Relationships: Kotomine Kirei & Arturia Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 29
Kudos: 28
Collections: Fic In A Box





	1. Reaching for Miracle from Hell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [apotheosizing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/apotheosizing/gifts).



> I loved your prompt for Servant Swap AU! I hope you don't mind I swapped two Servants for completely different ones in the process. I love Hundred Faces, but Kiritsugu would be too powerful if he got her (not to mention, she isn't a good foil for him like she was for Kirei). And Gilles just wasn't happening in this setup. I hope you will find the substitutions I made enjoyable! 
> 
> Thanks to Karios for beta!

"I can't believe I made a blunder like that," Tokiomi said with a sigh.

"Nothing we can do about it," Risei said. "Besides, you can count on my son. Even if Arthur didn't become your Servant, she will be pretty much under your command."

"I know," Tokiomi said. He had thought a lot about his mistake. He had accidentally handed the box with his catalyst to Kirei together with the materials needed for summoning. Tokiomi's lack of attentiveness resulted in his trump card landing in the hands of his disciple.

Well, there was no sense crying over spilt milk.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I will reuse the catalyst," Tokiomi said without hesitation. He had already planned how to recover from this setback. "Even if Arthur was already summoned, Avalon should allow me to summon another person connected to her. I should still be able to obtain a high quality servant."

That's right, even if his preparations didn't go as planned, Tokiomi would win this war.

*

Arthur was quiet, as was her Master.

They had barely talked since the summoning. Kirei Kotomine was a man of few words. He would engage in conversation when approached, but would rarely start one himself unless he needed something. Arthur was having a hard time getting a read on him.

Still, there were some complicated feelings that she couldn't just keep to herself.

"Were you really going to hand me over to that other mage?" she asked. She'd been mostly quiet when the idea had been brought up. From what she gathered, her being summoned by the priest was some sort of mistake.

Still, he was her Master. The idea of changing her Master, just like one would change gloves, sat badly with her.

"Master Tokiomi is a superior magus in every way. He would be a much better Master," Kirei explained. "However, that matter has already been resolved as I mentioned before. Tokiomi will summon a different Servant. For better or worse, we will be working together."

The self-deprecation in his voice made her clench her teeth.

"Why are you working with someone else in this Holy Grail War? I understand that Tokiomi was your teacher, but shouldn't you part ways now that you have become enemies? The Holy Grail will only grant the wishes of the victorious pair of Master and Servant," she raised her voice unwittingly, however the man before her remained calm in face of her accusations.

He was silent for a moment, as he considered his words.

"I don't think I would be able to hide the truth from you, so I will be frank," he finally said, his voice weighty. "There is no conflict because I have nothing I could wish upon the Holy Grail. I'm just an expendable pawn in this fight. That's why if Tokiomi ever loses his Servant, I would encourage you to become his Servant instead. You deserve better than a purposeless Master like me."

Arthur found herself lowering her head. She couldn't find falsehood in his words, still it didn't make sense. It couldn't be true, because— 

"The Holy Grail would not bestow Command Seals on someone without a wish," she pointed out.

For the first time in their conversation, Kirei grimaced, as though her words reminded him of something deeply unpleasant. The expression was gone almost in an instant, his face smoothed back into his usual neutral look, but Arthur couldn't forget it.

She just couldn't pretend she hadn't seen the anguished look on his face.

"The Holy Grail must have been mistaken," Kirei finally said, his level voice betraying nothing. "I have no wish."

Arthur didn't know what it meant. She was never good at understanding people; it was why she failed as a king. Why she needed to obtain the Holy Grail to erase her mistakes.

But she did know one thing.

"Then I will continue to serve you until you find a wish worth fighting for," she promised. She knew it had to be there. Hidden deep down in her Master's heart. "And when you find it, I promise I will grant you victory."

*

Irisviel reminded herself that she should be civil towards her Servant. She had lost track of just how many times she'd needed to do so.

"I guess the wine isn't half bad. It almost makes up for the presence of that boring man who wishes to save the whole world. Such a pointless ambition is too pathetic to even warrant a laugh," Gilgamesh said from where he was lounging on the sofa.

"Kiritsugu is _not_ boring," Irisviel said because no one would disrespect her husband in her presence. Not even King of Heroes.

Gilgamesh chuckled humorlessly.

"Normally, I would have your head for talking back to me," he said, as he poured another glass of wine for himself. "But extinguishing your already pitifully short life would leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. And I admit, I don't dislike tools who developed human feelings like you. I guess even that boorish man has his uses, if he helped you reach humanity. I certainly look forward to seeing how far you can come in this war, Irisviel."

Irisviel clenched her hands, while her Servant indulged himself in another glass of wine. She hated how she couldn't rebuke his words. She knew she was created to be nothing but a tool for Einzbern's ambition. She wouldn't even live to see the end of the war. The plan was to transfer control of Gilgamesh over to Kiritsugu (who was commanding Assassin right now) once she turned into the Holy Grail. She made her peace with that. There was no way to change her fate. All she could do now was make sure that Kiritsugu would succeed, so their daughter wouldn't have to live the same doomed life as her.

She'd just rather have a Servant who didn't ascertain all that at a single glance, only to find a twisted enjoyment in her struggle.

"Don't make that face. You should be grateful. I deemed you worthy of my support, despite the fact that I have no interest in the Holy Grail," he said with a sneer, his cruel eyes shining with mirth. "So rather than scowl, you should enjoy what little time you have to the fullest."

Irisviel knew beyond a shred of doubt— Einzberns had made a mistake summoning Gilgamesh.

*

"According to our intel, Tokiomi Tohsaka's apprentice, Kirei Kotomine, stole his catalyst and then escaped with his Servant. I had two sources confirm that, but I can't help suspecting the credibility of that intel. Tokiomi might have simply set up this narrative. However, our information suggests that Kotomine's Servant is a Saber class Servant. Tohsaka is a magus through and through. I can't imagine him handing over such a powerful Servant to his apprentice. What do you think, Assassin?" Kiritsugu asked, turning towards his Servant.

He much preferred brainstorming with Irisviel, but she had to keep Gilgamesh company. For some reason, the moody King of Heroes seemed to despise everyone except her. Kiritsugu hated how he monopolized Iri's time, but there was little Kiritsugu could do. At least Gilgamesh didn't seem to be interested in her as a woman, but rather as an actor in a play known as reality.

If Gilgamesh tried to put a hand on her, Kiritsugu would find a way to kill him no matter how disadvantageous it would be for him.

"It could have been Tokiomi who summoned Saber and then made his apprentice pretend they were his Servant." Assassin's calm voice pulled Kiritsugu out of his violent thoughts. His Servant expressed herself slowly, but her words were always thought out and her actions were swift. "Consequently, Tokiomi could later pretend that Kotomine's Servant is his. However, the Servant in question being Saber… I think it lowers the possibility of such a swap. Saber class Servants are usually proud and honorable. The chances of Saber willingly taking part in such a charade are low. Maybe if Command Seals were used… But would it be worth using them so early in the war?" 

Kiritsugu nodded.

"Yes, I can't see a straightforward explanation," he agreed, trying not to look at his Servant.

When he summoned Assassin, he expected someone other than a young girl. Even now, he couldn't help feeling bitter looking at her. While her skull mask hid it, she had a youthful face and an average build. If it wasn't for her unusual attire, she could be easily mistaken for a normal human. To think such a young girl was made into one of the infamous Hassan-i-Sabbah. 

The world was far too cruel. Still, he couldn't discount her experience and insight. So he would make sure to use her. Even if she was a young girl, she was also a Hassan of Serenity—a girl filled with poison, capable of killing others with a single touch.

Kiritsugu stared at the cork board where he had pinned the picture of Kirei Kotomine. Something about the man bothered him, ever since Kiritisugu had read a report about his past.

"Are you worried about him, Master?" she asked from across the room. She always made sure to keep distance from others, aware of her poisonous body.

Kiritsugu slowly nodded.

"Yes, I feel like he can become a threat, especially with Saber at his command. Still, we need to look into other Masters too," Kiritsugu said, turning around from the corkboard. "I got some new data on Kayneth this morning, especially his magecraft. I should be able to use it to create strategies against him."

Hassan of Serenity just nodded obediently.

*

Arthur walked behind her Master as the two of them traversed the docks of Fuyuki City.

She knew they were nothing more than bait. She was there when Tokiomi had given the order to Kirei and her Master was now fulfilling it. Arthur should have known that this would be how her Holy Grail would look. Her Master certainly made that clear, but still— 

"I recall you promising to defeat my enemies, yet you look rather uncertain," Kirei pointed out. He was wearing a cloak that obscured his silhouette, as was Arthur. Kirei didn't sound reassuring. His voice lacked intonation as though he was simply commenting on the weather. "Now that all Servants have been summoned, we are going to start the first act of this war."

Still, his words helped Arthur gather herself.

"You are right," she muttered. She knew someone could be listening to them, but despite that she found herself asking. "Do you know what Servant your mentor summoned?"

Last time she asked, Tohsaka hadn't summoned anyone yet.

Kirei shook his head.

"I know he successfully summoned one, but nothing more than that," he admitted. Judging by his voice, it really was all he knew. Arthur wondered if maybe it was someone from Round Table. The choices were limited, since there couldn't be another Saber, but Tristan could have been summoned as Archer. And given his proficiency with weapons, it wouldn't be impossible for Lancelot to be summoned as Lancer.

Arthur felt a pang at that thought, quickly discarding her train of thought. Rather than wasting her time on pointless speculating, she should wait and see. She was in the middle of the war. This was no time for displaced nostalgia. They could be attacked at any moment.

No sooner had she thought that, when a warrior wielding two spears emerged from the shadows of the dock. Saber took off her cloak, revealing her armour and prepared for battle.

She charged forward, not even waiting for her Master's command. 

*

Arthur felt ashamed of herself.

The second Lancer was urged by his Master to reveal his Noble Phantasm, she was at a disadvantage. Lancer's spear pierced through invisible Air cloaking her sword, making him aware of the length of her blade. She would no longer be able to use this to her advantage.

Still, Arthur wasn't about to give up. She adjusted her sword as she prepared for the counterattack.

And then she heard a sound. She had never heard it during her life, but thanks to the knowledge provided to her by Holy Grail, she recognized it nevertheless. It was the sound of a bullet.

A second later, she heard another sound that filled her heart with dread—it was the sound of her Master's body falling limply to the ground.

*

"It was a headshot," Maiya reported to Kiritsugu. 

"Yes, that should take care of it," Kiritsugu said, lowering his gun. Given a choice between taking out the Master of Lancer and Saber, he had chosen Kirei Kotomine without a second of doubt. He had considered taking out Lancer's Master at the same time as Kotomine, but it was too risky. If there was any delay, they could carelessly expose their position. "I will change my position, keep monitoring the situation while I—"

"Oh, no, I'm afraid that's not going to happen," a cheerful male voice said. Kiritsugu turned around to see a handsome man in white robes standing right before him. Caster? What was he doing here? How come Kiritsugu hadn't noticed him? He should have been able to sense the presence of other Servants. Usually only Assassins were able to mask their presence to such an extent.

The man took a step forward. Flowers bloomed around his feet, even though the two of them had been standing on top of metal scaffolding.

"I hate violence, but I guess this can't be helped," the Servant said, raising his right hand. Immediately, a sword appeared in it. It looked eerily similar to the one Saber wielded. "I do owe her a debt, after all."

The man swung his sword. Kiritsugu couldn't dodge in the narrow scaffolding, there was only one way to avoid death.

"Come!" he ordered, burning one of his Command Seals. A second later, Assassin manifested before him just in time to block the sword attack with her daggers. The mage immediately took a few steps back.

"Ah, so you are Assassin's Master. I should have guessed," he said, his voice completely devoid of levity.

"Are you Caster?" Serenity asked, narrowing her eyes.

"That's right, I'm a reliable big brother, Caster," he introduced himself. "I would shake hands, but that seems to be ill-advised."

Kiritsugu noticed that flowers close to Assassin had wilted. Caster was extremely observant to notice it so quickly. Kiritsugu felt even more wary of him now. Serenity must have felt similarly because she readjusted her grip on her daggers.

"Now, now, I'm not interested in a straightforward fight," Caster said quickly, raising his hands. The sword he had been holding dissolved into golden sparkles as though it was never there. "I'm afraid you will have to excuse me. There's someone I'd rather not meet, so a commotion is the last thing I want. In fact there are two people, but I guess some meetings are inevitable."

Before Kiritsugu could say anything, a loud crash erupted through the docks. Caster swung his staff at the same moment, as if expecting the distraction. A storm of petals appeared, obscuring him. Once they disappeared, Caster was no longer there.

"Illusion magic, that will be troublesome," Serenity muttered. Kiritsugu turned towards the clearing where Saber and Lancer were fighting a moment ago.

A chariot was standing there, driven by a giant man.

*

"Master!" Arthur almost turned around, before stopping herself. She was in the middle of the fight. She looked at Lancer, but he just pulled his spear away, nodding to her.

She immediately rushed towards Kirei.

"What are you doing, Lancer? You should have finished her while she was distracted." Lancer's Master seemed angry, as his voice echoed through the docks.

"I can't do something dishonorable like that," Lancer protested, then looked at Saber cradling her master's limp body. There was a puddle of blood under his head. "Besides now that her Master is gone, she will disappear soon anyway."

Lancer's Master didn't seem to want to argue further.

"I'm sorry, Master…" Arthur muttered. Kirei's heart was still barely beating, but it probably wouldn't be long before it stopped. She could see two holes in his head where the bullet had entered and exited his skull.

There was no way a human could survive such a wound. 

Arthur felt regret pool in her gut. She knew they were supposed to be bait, and yet she had completely disregarded her Master's safety. She was a failure as a knight. She should have asked Lancer to move their battle to a safer place. She should have realized that in this war some people would use dishonorable tactics. She— 

A thunder struck next to her. Arthur turned her head to see a chariot led by two oxes land next to her and Lancer. The giant man who was driving it raised his hands into the air.

"Sheath your blades. You are in the presence of a king! I am Iskander, King of Conquerors! I am of Rider class in this Grail War!"

Nobody spoke, stunned by that introduction. A second later, Arthur heard someone else in the chariot whine in the protest, but they were quickly silenced.

Arthur raised from where she was crouching, raising her sword. Iskander continued to talk, inviting them to join him in his conquests. He seemed to have full confidence that they would join him.

Lancer was first to turn down the invitation.

"You interrupted us to propose such a ridiculous plan," Arthur complained immediately after him, unable to control her anger.

"If I waited any longer, you would disappear," Iskander pointed out. "I came right now to make sure it wouldn't come to that. If you join me, I can keep you materialized."

"You can?" someone exclaimed from the chariot, but they were once more silenced.

"Even so, joining you would go against my Master's wishes," she said. Kirei asked for her to join Tokiomi and help grant him victory. If Kirei died, she would probably do so, but Arthur wished he had found a goal of his own. She wasn't against Kirei handing over his victory to his lord (not if she could negotiate to have her wish granted), but there was something shallow about Kirei's loyalty to Tokiomi. It didn't feel like true devotion, but rather like a servitude he was forced into and was merely unwilling to rebel against. 

Their relationship just didn't sit well with her.

"I'd be willing to discuss the terms," Iskander attempted once more, but Arthur and Lancer shouted at him to shut up at the same time.

His disregard for their circumstances was annoying, and Arthur found herself snapping at him.

"I, myself, am a king responsible for Britain's well-being. No matter how great a king you may be, I'd never lower myself to the rank of a subject," she said, hoping to discourage him. 

"King of Britain? What a surprise! I didn't expect the King of Knights to be a little girl!" Iskander exclaimed, clearly desiring for his head to become separate from the rest of his body. Arthur adjusted the grip on her sword. Even if she was about to disappear, she could at least take down that uncivilized Rider.

However, a moment later, Lancer's Master started to insult Rider's Master. It seemed there was some history between two of them. Arthur used that distraction to once more check on her Master. Somehow, he was still clinging to his life and was no longer bleeding. Maybe he managed to cast healing magic on himself before losing consciousness. Still, it would be difficult for Saber to carry him out of the battlefield with all the Servants surrounding them. While Lancer seemed to believe in the code of chivalry, his Master seemed much less honorable. She didn't want to even consider it, but Arthur could see him using Command Seals on Lancer to force him to attack her while she was carrying her Master. Not to mention there could be more Servants lying in the wait.

As if reading her mind, Iskander chose this moment to shout.

"Heroic Spirits summoned through the Holy Grail, gather here and now!"

Somehow Arthur's situation just kept getting worse.

*

Kiritsugu was climbing from one roof to another when he heard Iskander's voice.

"This is…" Maiya muttered through the communicator, thinking the same thing as him.

"...bad," he finished, as he thought of Irisviel's Servant.

*

Arthur watched as, following Iskander's declaration, a Servant manifested on top of a street lamp.

He could only be described as golden—his hair, his armour, it all shone, giving off a feeling of wealth and antiquity. All gold, except for his vividly red eyes. Something about them felt inhuman, setting Arthur on edge.

"In a single night, two insolent knaves dare to call themselves kings in my presence," he said, looking down on all the gathered Servants.

Arthur watched as the golden Servant started to argue with Iskander, summoning weapons from behind him when the conversation took an unpleasant turn for him. They hung in the air; an obvious threat to all who gathered here.

She moved so she would be able to shield Kirei from a potential attack.

However, before the hostilities could start, another Servant manifested.

This one was completely dark. Appearing in a storm of darkness, covered from head to toe in black armor. A dark haze hung around them. Arthur had a feeling that it was some kind of blessing or magecraft that further obscured their identity. He let out an inhuman screech that left no doubt as to their class.

"Berserker!" Arthur shouted. 

*

"I will get you, Tokiomi," Kariya muttered to himself, a grin splitting his face. "You might have hidden the identity of your Servant, but there's no way they're anything less than one of the Knight classes. So I can tell, this Archer is yours and we will obliterate him right here and now! Hahahaha! Get him, Berserker!"

*

Arthur watched as battle escalated between the golden Servant and Berserker. Their blows grew deadlier by the second and Arthur realized she had no choice.

If she wished to keep her Master alive, she had to carry him away right now, before the collateral damage reached them.

She pulled him onto her shoulder, securing him with one hand, while holding the sword with the other. She moved away, while remaining vigilant. She could see Lancer and Rider also move out of the way to avoid some attacks. All other Servants were giving them space.

The golden Servant kept producing more and more weapons out of thin air, flinging them like projectiles at Berserker who kept dodging and parrying the attacks with incredible skill. And then he threw the weapons back at the haughty golden Servant, destroying the street lamp he was standing on.

"How dare you make me stand on the same ground as you?!" the golden Servant shouted, producing hundreds of ripples in the air. Just how many weapons did he have at his disposal?

Arthur watched as the golden Servant aimed his weapons. Even if they weren't launched in their direction, if all of them got fired at once the sheer destructive power, would— 

"That's enough, Archer," a woman's voice said.

Everyone looked to a lone woman who entered the clearing where the battle was taking place.

The golden Servant snapped at her.

"Do you dare to order me?" he asked, his voice threatening.

"No, I'm hoping you will realize that showing your full power against such an opponent is unbecoming of a king," she replied without fear. "It's one thing to respond to a challenge from another king, but another to waste your time on insignificant opponents."

Archer went quiet at that. Everyone waited with bated breath on his decision. Even Berserker didn't move.

"Indeed, I should not lower myself to that level. Rejoice, for I will not punish your interference," he said to the woman. Then he turned to address other Servants. "Mongrels! See that you've culled your numbers by our next meeting! Only true heroes are worthy of facing me!"

With that, he disappeared with a golden sheen. The woman turned around and left, having fulfilled her purpose.

"Honestly, Archer's Master is impressive to be able to talk back to him," Iskander said. Arthur couldn't help agreeing.

She tried to continue her retreat, but then she stopped, sensing bloodlust. She turned her head and realized that Berserker was looking at her now that his primary target was gone. 

Arthur barely managed to throw Kirei to the side before Berserker charged at her. She parried the blow and moved to lead the black Servant away from her Master. However, it didn't change the fact that he was now lying defenseless on the ground—an easy target for any other Master or Servant.

She tried to overpower Berserker, but it was impossible in the current situation. While the black Servant fought completely unconstrained, she had to constantly watch out for any stray attacks that could hit her Master. Despite his Berserker class, his skills and even the improvised weapon were of a high level.

As she barely managed to avoid another attack, she realized that Berserker's pole would hit the ground right next to her unconscious Master. She moved forward, trying to block his swing, but it was too late. It moved in an arc— 

—only to be stopped by Lancer's spear. 

"That's enough messing around, Berserker. Saber has a duel with me," he proclaimed. "I won't let you interfere."

Berserker growled, looking between the two of them, as if trying to figure out a new plan of attack. That was good. With Lancer's help, Arthur should be able to defeat Berserker. If they worked together— 

"What are you doing, Lancer?" Lancer's Master asked in a cold tone of voice.

Saber was helpless to watch as Lancer argued with his Master. She had a bad feeling about it, but she couldn't move carelessly right now. All she could do was wait.

And then, after Lancer suddenly got quiet in the middle of his plea, he turned around and raised one of his spears to stab Kirei. Arthur didn't have to ask to know that her worst fears came true—Lancer's Master had used a Command Seal.

She lunged forward, but Berserker was already moving to intercept her. She could see Rider moving the chariot in their direction, obviously trying to help her, but neither of them would make it in time. Arthur could only watch as Lancer lowered his spear, stabbing Kirei's limp body.

"MASTER!!!" she shouted in despair. It was over. She failed to protect her Master. Her Holy Grail War would end as soon as it began, all because she couldn't save a single person. 

A lone tear streaked down her cheek as she cursed her own powerlessness.

It was then that she saw a petal. She blinked. How strange, the dock had no plants or flowers growing in it. It was all cold concrete and metal. But then, as more petals appeared, she finally saw it.

Kirei's body had disintegrated into a pile of flower petals that now flew through the air. It was a sickeningly familiar sight. She grit her teeth, feeling a mixture of relief and irritation.

Some of the petals regathered in a different place to form a silhouette of two people. One was a mage wearing a white robe and black baggy pants. He had long white hair that curled at the ends. There was a black wooden staff in his left hand. The other person was Kirei, who was lying on the ground next to him.

"Now, that was too close," the mage said, pushing a strand of hair from his face.

"You!" Arthur hissed, as her suspicions finally got confirmed. She recognized the person before her.

He was none other than Merlin, and it seemed he had been summoned as a Caster for this Grail War. 

"Now, now, don't give me that look. I've saved your Master, didn't I," he said quickly, while Arthur parried an attack from Berserker. The black Servant jumped back after being blocked, but then rushed forward. Lancer joined their attack, but a moment later their combined front was stopped when Rider tried to run them over with his chariot. Lancer barely managed to dodge, but Berserker got trampled over. Arthur watched as he turned into his spirit form, unable to maintain his physical body.

Rider, meanwhile, started to chastise Lancer's Master for interfering in the knight's duel.

"I think this is our cue," Merlin whispered, as he raised his staff.

Arthur wanted to protest, but stopped herself. Merlin was right. She had to focus on making sure that her Master was alright. She picked him up and then ran, hiding under Merlin's illusion.

They would be far away once other Servants realized that they've been tricked.

*

"Is he alright?" Arthur asked, once she and Merlin reached one of the hideouts prepared for Kirei. Saber had placed her Master on bed after taking off his dirtied cloak, but he was still unconscious. "His wound looked serious. I know this isn't your speciality, but you should be able to do something for him, Merlin."

However, Merlin didn't even come closer to check on her Master. Instead he leaned against the wall with the insufferable smile that Arthur remembered far too well.

"Don't worry, he will be fine," Merlin said easily. "He already got completely healed, we only need to wait until he wakes up."

She clenched her fist.

"How can you be so certain?" she asked.

Merlin blinked at her.

"So it seems they haven't told you," he muttered more to himself than to her.

"Told me what?" she asked. It was one of the reasons why she disliked Merlin. His refusal to be straightforward when it came to important matters wore out her patience long before her life ended.

"What was the catalyst they used to summon you?" Merlin replied cheerfully as if he was giving a hint.

"Catalyst? What does it have to do with my Master?" she asked.

However, before Merlin could reply they heard a loud groan. Kirei pushed himself up to sit on the bed. He had a miserable expression.

"Master, are you alright?" Arthur asked. However, Kirei ignored her, instead glaring at Merlin.

"Did Tokiomi permit you to tell Saber about the catalyst, Caster?" he asked instead.

"I don't think he realizes that I know," Merlin said with a shrug. "So I figured it was better not to ask for permission."

Kirei sighed.

"Were you listening to our conversation?" Arthur asked. She expected her Master to be more confused, but he seemed to have a pretty good grasp of the situation.

"Yes, I was unable to speak or move my body due to the damage to my brain, but I did hear most of what happened," he explained, as he massaged his head. "It was rather inconvenient, since you were forced to move me around."

"It's alright," Arthur said quickly. She was happy that her Master survived, but she was unable to let go the question bothering. "But _how_ did you survive?"

Kirei looked at her, but then lowered his gaze.

"Oh, it's simple. He has Avalon," Merlin said, answering her question instead. "Don't be too harsh on him, though. I'm pretty sure he was forbidden from sharing this information with you."

Kirei nodded, confirming his words. 

"Wait, you _have Avalon_?" she repeated in disbelief. If she had it, then there was no way she would lose. With her sheath, she would be able to protect herself from any attack. She would be able to defeat anyone and— 

"Now, now, Arthur. I think this whole skirmish was a pretty good demonstration as to why your Master should keep it for now," Merlin pointed out. "If he didn't have it, you would have already disappeared."

Arthur hated it, but she had to agree with Merlin in that regard. She had been far too sloppy. She was good at direct confrontation, but not with sneaky attacks on her Master.

"I see your point," she finally said, not wanting to outright say that he was right.

"Of course you do," Merlin said happily, easily reading her. "Besides knowing you, you would just lose it _again_ and—" 

Kirei, who had been quiet until now, stood up. His action stopped the quarrel that was about to erupt.

"I need to report to Tokiomi," he said.

"You should rest, Master," Arthur said, but Kirei shook his head.

"I will rest after that," he said, moving toward the other room. Merlin followed him, so Saber had no choice but to do the same.

The room in question was one dedicated to magical research. There were also documents pertaining to the Holy Grail War spread on the table. Saber had seen her Master read them before. Merlin immediately picked some of the files and started to look through them. Arthur threw him a glare. It was rather rude of him to peruse through someone else's documents.

However, Kirei didn't seem to mind, instead focusing on activating the gramophone placed in the corner of the room.

"Master Tokiomi," he said, once the connection had been established.

"Kirei, I presume you have escaped danger," Tokiomi's voice resounded through the room, slightly distorted through the magic connection.

"Yes, Saber, with Caster's help, managed to extract me from the scene," Kirei confirmed. "Caster used his magic, so I doubt we were being followed."

"I see. Since you've been unconscious, I will summarize what happened," Tokiomi said. "I've been observing your struggles through the eyes of a familiar."

Kirei said nothing while Tokiomi latched into a detailed description of what happened. Arthur quickly grew bored of his needlessly colorful exposition. She had a feeling Kirei was aware of most of what had transpired too, but her Master just patiently stood there.

She wasn't sure if it was admirable or just sad how passively he accepted his fate.

Merlin must have foreseen that, which was why he secured a reading material for himself. He was humming as he browsed through the documents, probably to block out Tokiomi's long-winded explanation.

"...and that was when I saw you get shot. Unfortunately, my familiar was on the other side of the dock, so I couldn't see who it was. I was afraid that if I made it fly over there someone would notice it and shoot it down, so—" Tokiomi didn't get to finish his sentence because finally someone decided to interrupt him.

Sporting a wide grin, Merlin pulled out a photo out of the stack of documents and showed it to Arthur and Kirei. "It was this guy."

Arthur looked at the picture of a scruffy man with black hair. She hadn't seen him, but her Master's expression immediately changed as he saw the photo.

"Kiritsugu Emiya," he said in clear disbelief. "So he did join this Grail War, after all."

"Are you sure it's him, Caster?" Tokiomi asked.

"Yeah, very sure. He's Assassin's Master. I tried to take him down, but he used his Command Seal to summon Assassin to his side, so I had to retreat."

"Who is this Kiritsugu Emiya?" Arthur asked, turning towards her Master.

"He's known as _Mage Killer_. A mercenary mage who specializes in taking down other magic users. It was rumored that Einzberns had employed him as a Master for this Holy Grail War. However, right before the Grail War started they announced that their Master would be someone from their family. We were speculating that maybe their deal fell through, but it seems as though Einzberns simply decided to employ two Masters."

"How underhanded of them," Tokiomi commented.

It was good that Tokiomi couldn't see the Servants' reactions because Arthur's face twisted in exasperation. Merlin actually rolled his eyes, apparently deciding that this blatant hypocrisy deserved a reaction. Kirei's expression didn't change, but Arthur was sure he shared their sentiment.

"Still, that's good news. Now, the only Master whose identity remains a mystery is Berserker's Master," Tokiomi continued, oblivious to the disapproving silence he had caused.

"If Emiya is involved, we need to modify our strategy," Kirei said.

"Of course," Tokiomi agreed. "Caster, stay with them for now and support them if they engage with any Servants. I will call for you if I need your help."

"Gladly," Merlin said with a bit too much glee.

"Kirei, once you have rested, try to find and defeat a Servant. Caster unfortunately has little in terms of offensive power, so I can't count on him in that regard."

"I understand," Kirei said simply. Arthur couldn't help feeling like her Master was distracted.

Ever since Kiritsugu Emiya had been brought up in the conversation, her Master's eyes had been shining with something more than his usual indifference.

Was it a step in a good direction? It was the first time her Master expressed himself in some way. Maybe facing off against that man would help bring change to her Master.

But then, just what was this strange foreboding she was feeling— 

"Oh, right, Kirei," Merlin called out, his gaze distant. Arthur recognized this expression.

What made Merlin one of the most powerful mages wasn't simply his magic power. No, it was an innate ability he had possessed. One that no mage could reproduce simply by training—Clairvoyance. It was a powerful ability to see either past, present or future. Most of those who possessed it, could only get a limited glimpse of it, but Merlin wasn't like most in that regard.

"You aren't a barbarian like Tokiomi, right?" Merlin continued to speak to Kirei, while leading him out of the room. "You have a TV, don't you? I thought I would die of boredom in Tokiomi's mansion. No TV, no internet. How could I get summoned so close to the 21st Century and get denied access to the web? That's just cruel! Anyway, turn on the TV! That Emiya guy just did something very flashy and it's about to make news."


	2. Death of Chivalry

Serenity admired her Master.

As one of those who had the honor of inheriting the title of Hassan-i-Sabbah she would loyally serve any Master who summoned her, but Kiritsugu Emiya was an exceptional Master in every way.

The way he dealt with Lancer's Master was proof of that. Bringing the whole building down in order to take out the target was something she would never think of. Not only that, he had sent a warning to the owners of the building to ensure that as few bystanders as possible would be involved. He did that with full understanding of the nature of his target, Lancer's Master was a conceited man who would ignore warning believing in his own superiority.

Her Master took all of that into account and performed the grandest assassination Serenity had ever seen. Seeing the building fall down was spectacular. Surely, even the Great Founder, the First Hassan would be impressed by such a feat.

But it wasn't only that. 

It might have been presumptuous of her, as she was nothing more than a Servant, but she felt like she understood. The cold expression in Kiritsugu Emiya's eyes felt familiar.

It was a mark of someone who could only continue living by killing those he loved—just like Hassan of Serenity.

*

"Aren't you bored, having to stay cooped up in this subpar castle?" Gilgamesh asked. 

Irisviel lost track of how many things her Servant considered boring. It was extremely frustrating for her. She experienced so many small joys, discovering the wonders of the world together with Kiritsugu. Yet, Gilgamesh would cruelly label all the things that brought her happiness as unworthy of his attention.

Was it because he led a spoiled life where he didn't lack for anything?

If that was the case, he might have been even more pitiful than her.

"You are thinking something unpleasant," Gilgamesh said accusingly, as if reading her mind. 

"The only unpleasant thing is the company I'm forced to keep," she replied, unable to hide her bitterness. Without Kiritsugu and Maiya the only one to keep her company was her Servant. There were also servants employed by Einzberns, but they were single-mindedly focused on fulfilling their jobs.

Gilgamesh just laughed at that.

"If you are so bored, then I could think of some entertainment," he said, his eyes shining dangerously.

"I'm not sure I share your idea of entertainment," Irisviel replied.

Gilgamesh smiled at that.

"I just need to find adequate company, don't I?"

*

"Where's Caster?" Kirei asked.

Arthur turned her head, having only just now noticed her Master leave the room.

"He said he wanted to check something out," she said dismissively. "Knowing him he had annoyed his Master precisely so that he could be given freedom needed to explore the city."

"I see. Anyway, I contacted Tokiomi. He will use his familiar to survey the site of the explosion, so we can confirm if Lancer's Master has perished."

"I thought he would order you to survey the site," she said, feeling a bit surprised.

Kirei tilted his head.

"Master Tokiomi isn't unreasonable," he said. As usual, his voice didn't elicit trust. Rather it was a simple statement. "Besides, he expects us to be rested so we will be able to chase them, if it turns out they have survived."

"That is a sound strategy," she agreed. It seemed that the destroyed building was the Lancer team's hideout. Even if they had managed to avoid death, they would likely be hurt or at least rattled by having their base of operation being destroyed. It would be a prime moment to strike, as they would have no place to retreat to.

"You should rest, Saber," Kirei said, as he sat next to her. "Since I have failed when summoning you, you are unable to turn into your spirit form. You should take this bed. I have already prepared a place for myself in the other room."

"Ah, don't worry about it. You should be the one taking the bed. I would sleep in stables when I was a page, so I don't need much," Arthur said quickly. It wasn't Kirei's fault that she couldn't turn into her spirit form, but she didn't want to reveal the truth to him. It made her feel guilty towards him, but she knew that burdening him with her past would be even more cruel. "By the way, what do you think about Merlin?"

"Merlin?" Kirei asked, confused by the sudden change of topic. However, he quickly gathered himself. "I think his skills should serve as a good support to us. His illusion magic already proved invaluable when it comes to escape and I suspect he also has some magic that could help us during the fight. You should have a better grasp of his skills than me, so I'm afraid my evaluation is rather lacking."

Arthur raised her head, feeling awkward.

"Ah, no. I meant his character. What do you think about his character?"

Kirei blinked at her.

"His character?"

"I guess this is a strange question. You've only just become acquainted with him," she said quickly, realizing just how ridiculous she was acting. Her bias was clearly showing. It was simply unbecoming of a knight.

Arthur didn't hold any grudges against Lancelot and Guinever. Even if their choice resulted in the fall of Camelot, Arthur could never fault them over it. Their love wasn't something that should have been considered a crime. Even Mordred… As much as her immaturity irritated Arthur, Mordred was not afraid to stake her life for what she believed in. She was reckless and thoughtless, but never a coward.

But Merlin...

Merlin was the one who ran away without choosing anything.

"What I want to say is… you shouldn't trust Merlin," Arthur said. She felt bitter saying that. Merlin was the one who helped her become the king, yet she was now telling her Master not to trust him.

However, Kirei merely nodded, his expression as neutral as always.

"I was already wary of him. It's impossible to get a read on him since he fakes all of his expressions. That doesn't inspire trust," he explained.

It took Arthur a second to realize she had frozen in place with her mouth agape.

"You noticed it?!" she asked in disbelief. It took Arthur years to realize the truth, yet her Master had seemingly seen through Merlin in less than an hour.

"Was I not supposed to notice?" Kirei asked, unsure.

"No, I was just… I was just surprised you realized it so quickly," she admitted. She sighed. It was better to get it out of way now. Her Master deserved to know the truth. "Merlin doesn't experience human emotion. He absorbs emotions from humans and then uses them to pretend he has a human nature," Arthur paused, realizing her voice was becoming more and more bitter with each word. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "He's not malicious. It's not a lie that he loves humanity."

"Then why do you resent him?" Kirei asked.

Saber was silent for a moment, as she thought on her answer.

"What's the point of loving humanity, if you don't extend your hand to the person right in front of you?" she asked, as she stared at the ceiling. As she sat there, she remembered days gone by, never to return.

Kirei remained silent at her side.

*

Waver wasn't sure how his life had shifted from epic battles with his life on the line to roommate shenanigans in less than twenty-four hours, but here he was.

"So you promise to buy me pants if I defeat an enemy Servant?" Rider repeated, as if making sure that the last ten minutes of their bickering had really happened.

Waver had no idea how their argument reached this point, but pants were a cheap price to pay for finally making progress in the Holy Grail War.

"Sure, I had no idea you wanted to walk around in modern clothing so much, but if you kill a Servant I promise to buy you a pair!"

*

Kayneth was furious.

His workshop had been destroyed and he barely escaped danger by protecting himself, Sola-Ui, and Lancer with his magecraft. Several hours had passed since then.

"I will find and kill them!" Kayneth said, seething. Their group had just emerged from the protective mercury sphere and moved to a nearby alleyway to avoid prying eyes. They needed to rethink their plans.

"But we don't really know who attacked us," Lancer quietly pointed out.

Kayneth shot him a glare, but before he could chastise his Servant someone chimed in.

"Oh, do you wish to know who attacked you?"

Everyone turned their heads to see Caster sitting on top of a giant garbage container. Lancer immediately took an offensive stance.

"Don't worry. I didn't come here to fight you. I just want to exchange information," Caster said, raising his hands as if to prove his lack of bad intentions.

"And why should we believe you?" Kayneth asked, not letting his guard down.

"Because I'm very weak," Caster explained, spreading his arms. "Unfortunately, my speciality is illusion magic. I have no chance of killing any of the Servants on my own. But my magic allows me to effectively gather information. Since I can't use that information on my own, I decided to seek help from one of the most powerful parties involved in this war."

Kayneth smirked to himself. That Caster might have dressed like a clown, but at least his eyes were not for show. 

"Fine, I will hear you out," Kayneth decided. "But don't expect anything more."

"I'm honored you decided to give me a chance," Caster said, lowering his head. "You see, the faction that attacked you—it was Einzberns."

"Nonsense," Kayneth said immediately. "Have you seen their Servant? Why would such a recognized clan lower themselves to using plebeian ambushes like this one?"

"Yes, that seems counterintuitive. But I think it's precisely because of the Servant they summoned. I don't know if you recognized their Archer, but he's none other than Gilgamesh, King of Heroes."

Kayneth felt himself freeze.

"That was Gilgamesh?" he repeated in disbelief. 

"Yes, he's an extremely powerful Servant. Probably capable of winning this war on his own. However, he's also extremely prideful. I think you've seen for himself how Einzbern's Master was barely able to stop him from going on a rampage."

Kayneth nodded. As terrifying as this revelation was, it did line up with what he saw yesterday.

"So you are saying they have trouble controlling him?"

"Exactly," Caster said, snapping his fingers at him. Very rude, but Kayneth would let it slide. The information he was receiving was worth its weight in gold. "Archer class is known for its Independent Action skill and combining that with Gilgamesh you get possibly the most difficult to control Servant."

"So Einzberns had no choice, but to employ a barbarian who would help them from the shadows?" Kayneth confirmed.

"Yes, you probably saw his handiwork yesterday when he shot Saber's Master," Caster pulled a photo out of a pocket of his robe and then let it fly down to Kayneth. He caught it and looked at a photo of a scruffy man who was obviously of low-birth. "His name is Kiritsugu Emiya, his speciality is assassinating mages. Einzberns must have contracted him."

"So you're saying he is probably hiding in Einzbern's castle?" Kayneth asked for confirmation. "Doesn't that mean I would have to get through Archer and his Master first?"

"Ordinarily, yes, but remember what I said about Archer being extremely free-spirited? He won't stay at his Master's side. If you wait for him to leave the castle, you should be able to attack them while they are Servant-less."

"But they can still summon him with Command Seals," Kayneth pointed out.

"Yes, but remember. He is Gilgamesh, the most prideful Servant of this Grail War. If they summon him for a reason that he considers too trivial, it will be their heads that will roll," Caster pointed out. "If they get attacked by a powerful Servant, they would probably consider it a good enough reason, but if, let's say, they got attacked just by the Master, they would be probably too afraid to use their Command Seals."

Kayneth smirked as he finally realized what Caster was getting at.

"Also, if they get attacked, the mercenary they contracted will be trying to ensure the survival of the Einzbern's Master. So while you will engage him, I will have a perfect opportunity to use my magic to hide myself and take down the fleeing Master of Archer."

"So that's what you hope to gain from it," Kayneth said with a chuckle.

"I think you will agree with me that Gilgamesh is far too big a threat to leave alone. Even your Servant would struggle against him," Caster said, mercilessly. "So what do you say? You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!"

Kayneth thought it over, it was indeed a perfect chance. Unlike Einzbern's Master, Kayneth could freely use his Command Seals to summon his Servant if anything went wrong. This would be a prime opportunity to get his revenge while Caster would carry most of the risks from attacking Archer's Master.

Kayneth smirked.

"I think it's time we paid Einzberns a visit."

*

"...when the Grail War reaches the second stage we will need to secure one of those locations," Kiritsugu explained, pointing at the map. Irisviel nodded.

Gilgamesh yawned loudly from where he was lying on the sofa.

"You are free to leave if this bores you so much, King of Heroes," Irisviel said without even looking at him.

Gilgamesh didn't deign her with a verbal answer, choosing to disintegrate into gold particles.

"He's gone," she said after a moment when she felt him leave the room. Judging by the direction he was going in, he was planning to resume his personal challenge of drinking all of the wine that Einzberns had accumulated over centuries in this castle.

"I have no idea what Einzberns were thinking," Kiritsugu complained, looking frustrated. "First-rate catalyst my ass."

"I think I can convince him to take out a Servant if needed, but are you sure you will be able to control him?" Irisviel asked, feeling worried. She could tell that the favour Gilgamesh granted her did not extend to Kiritsugu.

"I have no idea. But once you turn into a Grail, he will have no choice but to seek a new Master," Kiritsugu pointed out.

"What about Assassin?" Irisviel asked. She didn't get a chance to ask earlier.

"It's alright." As if summoned by her question, Serenity materialized in the corner of her room, away from everyone else. "If it's what my Master desires, I won't stop him from terminating our contract."

Irisviel looked between Assassin and Kiritsugu, feeling conflicted.

"But your wish…" she muttered. She couldn't comprehend just how Assassin could be okay with forfeiting a Holy Grail War. 

"My wish is to faithfully serve my Master. Making him waste a Command Seal to terminate our contract would be disgraceful. If my Master deems it necessary, I'm willing to take my own life," Serenity said slowly, her voice full of resolve. "That's the pride of Hassan-i-Sabbah."

"I see," Irisviel said, feeling foolish. Serenity had already prepared herself, just like Kiritsugu did. "Thank you for your faithful service, Assassin."

Serenity made a small smile.

"No, I'm the one who's grateful," she said, before she disappeared.

"As you can see, there will be no issue," Kiritsugu continued. "But I share your worries. If you can try warming Gilgamesh to the idea of making a contract with me, please do. Though from what you mentioned he seems aware of your situation. Given his Archer class he might plan to use his Independent Action skill to sustain himself."

"That would be the worst option for us," Irisviel realized.

"Yes. That's why we should take out the biggest threats first," Kiritsugu confirmed.

"You mean Saber and Rider?" Irisviel asked.

Kiritsugu nodded.

"Berserker might be skilled, but his Master doesn't seem to have good control over them. I should be able to take him out with Assassin once I locate them," Kiritsugu explained. "Caster seems to specialize in illusions rather than offensive skills. Taking him out won't be easy, but it will require wits rather than brute force. That leaves Rider and Saber. Or rather Iskander and King Arthur."

"Do you have a plan?" Irisviel asked.

"Our best course of action would be to make them fight each other. We have yet to ascertain their base of operation, but once we do we Assassin will make sure to lead one of the teams to the other. Then you will only have to convince Archer to take out the winner."

Irisviel nodded. Kiritsugu's plan sounded doable.

"Honestly, I hope that Saber's team will be the one taken out. Rider's Master is just a student from Clock Tower, but Saber's—"

"He's the person you've been worried about, right?" Irisviel said, remembering what Kiritsugu told her before they came to Japan. "Kirei Kotomine."

"Yes, there's just something about him…"

Irisviel hated seeing Kiritsugu so worried. She smiled at him. She had to be his strength at a time like this.

"Don't worry. We will take him out before long and grant our wish."

Kiritsugu didn't smile, but Irisviel could tell that her words reached him by the soft look in his eyes.

*

"I still don't understand why you were so dissatisfied with my choice of clothing, Arthur," Merlin complained as he, Arthur, and Kirei, ran towards the Einzberns' castle. Tokiomi's familiar followed Kayneth who had survived the collapse of the building and decided to take revenge on Kiritsugu Emiya. Their group was now following the familiar towards the Einzberns' hideout.

Arthur had a few ideas as to why she hated Merlin's selection of clothes.

"I am _not_ wearing a flowery dress!" she shouted. Merlin already made her wear a number of strange clothes while she was young and naive. It was a mistake she was not planning on repeating ever again.

Merlin had also bought some clothes for himself. Instead of his white robe he was now wearing a navy blue shirt, a pair of jeans, and a fashionable shawl.

"We can go shopping once we are done here, Saber," Kirei offered. He must have decided to defuse the brewing conflict. "It would be useful to have a set of clothing that would let you blend in with the crowd. I will let you choose them based on your preferences."

"Awwww, what a great Master you have. He will buy you anything you want!" Merlin cooed.

"Anything within my financial means," Kirei specified. "On that note, where did you get money for your clothes, Caster?"

Merlin flashed him a mischievous smile.

"Oh, I borrowed Tokiomi's credit card! I doubt he will notice it's missing before the Holy Grail War ends, so there's no problem as long as you don't snitch on me!"

"Despicable," Arthur muttered under her breath.

"I disagree. Masters should obviously provide for their Servant's needs. Just like Kirei had just promised to provide you with clothing, I too deserve something from my Master," Merlin explained.

"I think Saber is dissatisfied with your methods, not your goals," Kirei pointed out. 

"Sometimes I honestly wonder if you do have a sense of humor or not," Merlin admitted.

Suddenly, the three of them turned their heads in the same direction.

"Master!" Arthur shouted, readying her sword.

As if in response to her shout, a Servant materialized before them

"Greetings. My Master sent me to intercept the enemy Servant, though I expected to run into Archer. Not that I'm dissatisfied with a chance to duel you, Saber," Lancer said, readying his spear.

"Nor am I," Arthur said, raising her sword. "Master, you go ahead! I will take care of the enemy."

"Are you sure, Saber?" Kirei asked.

"Lancer's Master is probably trying to kill Emiya. You should hurry if you want to meet him. Caster, stay with him in case you run into Assassin! Also, don't hesitate to use Command Seals if you are in danger, Master."

Kirei nodded at her words.

"Thank you, Saber. Be sure to win."

After he said that he turned around and ran off. Merlin followed behind him, turning into his spirit form.

"Are you sure you should be letting them go?" Saber asked.

Lancer smiled at her.

"I've seen Caster's mastery of illusions for myself. I have no way of truly stopping him," Lancer explained. "Keeping you from approaching the castle is the most I can do."

Arthur smiled at him.

"I won't make this easy on you," she announced. "Come!"

*

Kiritsugu cursed under his breath, as Irisviel displayed Saber and Lancer's fight through her glass ball.

"Just when I sent Assassin out to the city," Kiritsugu muttered, annoyed. "Iri could you convince Gilgamesh to—"

"He's not here!" she shouted, clearly distressed. "He also left the castle. I don't think he's anywhere close."

"Damnit!"

The situation was bad. Technically both of them could summon their Servants using Command Seals, but it wasn't so straightforward.

Using a Command Seal on Gilgamesh was bound to make him hostile. It was something that should be avoided at all cost. Moreover, Kiritsugu already used one of his seals. He only had two left and he would need them once he took control of Gilgamesh. He doubted he would be able to control Archer without them.

"The good news is I don't sense any other Servants," Irisviel said. "We should be able to escape while the two of them are fighting. If we take—"

"What's wrong?" Kiritsugu asked, seeing her pause.

"Lancer's Master is approaching the castle!" Iri explained. 

"So he survived," Kiritsugu muttered. He nodded. "Both of you use the back door to escape! I will stop him!"

*

"Maiya, there's another intruder," Irisviel said, when the two of them entered the forest. She had suspected there was one ever since she saw Saber exchanging blows with Lancer. "Kirei Kotomine is heading this way."

Maiya was silent as she considered this new information.

"Madam, we should—" Maiya started, but Irisviel interrupted her.

"Let's go stop him," she announced. "The two of them shouldn't meet. That's what you believe too, don't you?"

Maiya clenched her fist. Irisviel approached her and gently embraced her clenched hand. Maiya was silent for a moment.

"If you are in danger, don't hesitate to summon your Servant," she finally said.

Irisviel beamed at her, happy that the two of them understood each other, "Of course, Maiya."

* 

Arthur scowled as Lancer's yellow spear slashed through her hand. The wound wasn't healing.

She'd been careless. She should have realized that the heroic spirit before her had two Noble Phantasms.

"Do you yield, Saber?" he asked, aiming his spear at her.

"Of course, not," she said. Her hand was in pain and it was hard for her to hold the sword with both of her hands, but she could manage. 

She had to manage.

"I would expect nothing less from the King of Knights," he proclaimed. "So, rather than prolong this fight, I have a proposal. Let's both use our Noble Phantasms at the same time."

Arthur froze.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Absolutely. Waiting for you to lose due to handicap isn't a fight I desire. I would regret never seeing the true extent of your power. That's why instead I'd rather we settled this with one strike that we put our all in," he explained.

Arthur nodded. If the wound inflicted on her was any deeper it would be impossible for her to use her Noble Phantasm. However, her hand was still usable if weakened. She should be able to do it, though there would be a slight risk of her attack going astray.

"I understand. If that's your wish, let's do this," she said, dispelling Invisible Air. Excalibur shone in the darkness of the forest, as Arthur began to charge it with mana.

Lancer smirked, preparing his spears for the final strike.

There was no visible signal. They just both moved at once for the final blow.

"EXCALIBUR!!!"

"GAE BUIDHE!!!"

The battle was over in an instant.

*

"Kirei!"

Kirei was already dodging even before he heard Merlin's voice. He jumped to the side avoiding the barrage of magical missiles and quickly counter-attacked with his Black Keys.

The barrage stopped, but no enemy showed themselves. Caster also remained hidden, probably not wanting to join the fight until the threat was ascertained.

Kirei listened in and then threw another Black Key when he sensed a presence. They hit nothing.

"An illusion, huh?" he muttered to himself.

The next second a hail of bullets assaulted him. He fell down.

The enemy appeared a second later to check on him.

"Maiya, no," someone shouted, but they were too late. The Black Key grazed his enemy's calf, buying Kirei time to get up and attack. In an instant, he disarmed his opponent and took her down with a martial arts strike. He stomped on the woman, Maiya, to make sure she was immobilized and then looked at the second enemy.

"Archer's Master, Irisviel Einzbern," he said, taking his foot off the enemy.

"And you are Kirei Kotomine, Saber's Master."

"I haven't come here to face you today," Kirei said. Kiritsugu was probably ahead, fighting against Lancer's Master, Kayneth. He doubted Kiritsugu would lose, but he didn't want to miss this opportunity.

Kirei needed to face this man and ask him just what he had found to push him onward. Just what kind of goal was there. His empty eyes were just like Kirei's. There had to be an answer there because if there wasn't—

However, to his surprise, Irisviel didn't move from where she stood.

"I know. And I won't allow it. As long as I am here I won't let you meet Kiritsugu!"

Kirei blinked, as he dodged a magical construct sent out by Irisviel.

Why was she so intent on getting in his way? He was willing to overlook her in favor of focusing on Emiya and Kayneth, but despite that she insisted on getting in his way. She didn't seem to have her Servant with her, but she could summon him at any second. And if she did so, Kirei would be in danger.

He had no choice. He had to kill her quickly.

She sent a magical construct against him once more, and Kirei chose to attack it this time.

It was a trap, and Kirei found himself tied to a tree. It was troublesome.

So he brought the tree down.

Luck was on his side, Einzbern's Master was inexperienced and he managed to rush towards her when she started to activate her Command Seal. He shoved his hand against her mouth, not letting her finish her words and then used the other hand to strike her abdomen.

Maiya tried to shoot him with a gun, but he used a Black Key to disarm her.

"I wish I could ask you why you decided to risk your life to shield Kiritsugu Emiya, but letting you speak would be dangerous," Kirei said, as he pulled out his Black Keys. "I have no grudge against you, but as an enemy Master, I must end your life."

He pulled his hand back to stab Archer's Master, but suddenly someone caught it.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!!!" Caster shouted, holding onto his arm. "We will have a problem if you kill the Lesser Grail right now!"

Kirei narrowed his eyes, then looked at the woman before him.

"The Grail?"

"Yes, she is the Lesser Grail. Well, right now she still has a human form, but once a few more Servants drop out she will—"

Suddenly Irisviel spasmed, losing her consciousness. Kirei let her go, watching her fall on the ground.

"I think that was Lancer," Merlin said. "Anyway, it's better not to harm her before she turns into a cup. Master would be very disappointed if we accidentally ruined the Grail War by breaking the Grail, don't you think?"

Kirei looked at the women.

"Should we take her?" he asked Caster. "If she's the Grail, we will need her at the final stages of the war."

"I would advise against it, unless you have some idea how to deal with Archer. He is likely to go after us the second he realizes his Master is missing," Caster explained. "We should withdraw while we are ahead. There will be another chance."

Kirei clicked his tongue, but turned around. He would meet Emiya next time for sure.

*

"Thank you, Saber… for giving me the honor of having a duel with you," Lancer said, as his spear fell to the ground. His right arm had been blasted off together with part of his chest.

"No, I'm the one who's honored. It was a narrow victory, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. You should be proud of your skills," Arthur said. She was bleeding from her side, but she was still standing.

"If you are able, please give my Master my sincerest apologies," Diarmuid continued as his body slowly disintegrated. "I truly wished to give him victory in this battle."

With those last words, the heroic spirit known as Diarmuid disappeared.

*

"Lancer… Lancer…" Kayneth called for his Servant fruitlessly, as he laid on the floor in a giant pool of his own blood. He had been completely defeated after being hit by Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet. Unable to move or cast a spell, he just twitched in pain.

Kiritsugu slowly walked to him and then shot him in the head.

The battle in the Einzbern's forest was over.


	3. Banquet of Discord

_She was standing there, watching people try to pull a sword from a distance. The sword was standing upright, stuck in a huge stone tablet. She watched as more and more people walked away, when it became obvious that none of those accomplished knights would be able to pull the Sword of Selection._

_The day was clear, the sword shone brightly in the sunlight. It was a beautiful blade. Bright and tempting and—_

_"You should think it through. If you pull out that sword, you will stop being a human."_

_She was surprised to see someone there. A man in white robes and with long white hair was looking at her. She was surprised that he seemed to have taken more interest in a page like her than in the knights who had been gathered around the sword earlier._

_Even her brother, Kay, had failed just a moment ago. He went off, trying to rally people to organize a tourney. He told her to go home, but she hadn't. She was still standing there, her eyes drawn to the Sword of Selection. No, rather than just standing there, she was slowly walking closer towards it, as if some unknown force was guiding her._

_Seeing the sword, hearing people say how the great mage, Merlin, had prophesied that whoever draws it will become king—she understood. Everything: her whole life, education, and upbringing… everything was for the sake of this moment._

_That's right, that was why this man, the mage Merlin, was talking to her. He, too, came here today to see the selection of King of Britain. Her brother had understood that too, which was why, in his kindness, he told her to go home._

_But she wouldn't. She had a role to play._

_"You surprised me, Merlin. It's the first time we meet outside of a dream, isn't it?"_

_He must have seen through her intent to pull the sword as he leaned forward._

_"It's better if you stop," he repeated. "I said you will stop being human after pulling it, but it's not only that… You will be hated by all kinds of people and reach a horrendous death," he explained. His voice was quiet, as if he was sharing an important secret with her._

_Was he trying to be considerate? Arthur didn't understand, but…_

_"It's fine."_

_"Are you sure?" Merlin asked. She could tell this was the final warning. The last opportunity to step away from the path of the king set before her._

_"Yes. Many people smiled upon me, which is why I'm sure. This path isn't a wrong one."_

_After she said that, she stepped forward. Most of the crowd had left to watch the preparations for the tourney. It was just her and Merlin standing right before the sword._

_And then she reached towards it and pulled the Sword of Selection out in one fluid motion, as if it was the most natural thing in the world._

_"Ahhh, you drew it." For the first time since they started talking, Merlin sounded truly emotional. As if seeing Arthur pull the sword free gave him as much elation as it did despair. "You have chosen a hard path. But miracles always come at a price."_

_She nodded at that._

_But did she truly understand those words?_

*

It took Kirei a second to rouse himself from sleep, and to separate the visions he witnessed from reality.

He'd heard about this phenomenon, but he didn't really expect to experience it. After all, he didn't expect to achieve as Tokiomi put it, a deep mental connection with his Servant.

Kirei blinked and was startled to realize someone was standing above him.

"My, I hoped to see some interesting dreams, but all I saw were familiar things. What a disappointment," Merlin complained with a sigh.

"Did you just peek at my dreams?" Kirei asked unsure if he felt more offended by the act itself, or at how freely Caster admitted to his voyeuristic stunt.

"Yes, and it was such a letdown," Merlin said honestly, sitting on a nearby chair with a sigh. "You look like a man with an interesting past."

"I'm afraid my past would also be nothing but a disappointment to you," Kirei said, because he couldn't think of a single interesting aspect of it. His life was defined by monotony and constant failure to find something that could bring him happiness. Such a gloomy life would probably hold no value in the eyes of a Heroic Spirit.

"You are a surprisingly pensive fellow, aren't you?" Merlin said.

Kirei blinked at him. He didn't understand why Merlin felt the need to say things like "surprisingly" when he wasn't surprised. Sure, he might have spoken the words in tone that expressed surprise, but it was nothing more than mimicry. As someone who went through his life faking most things, Kirei could see through that deception immediately.

He didn't understand why Merlin felt the need to do that, though. Did he want to keep up appearances in front of Arthur? That hardly seemed necessary when Saber understood that aspect of him. Then again, the relationship between them was strained, so maybe keeping up appearances was something of a defense mechanism for him.

Or maybe there was some other reason far beyond what Kirei could understand.

"How did you invade my dreams?" Kirei asked, ignoring Merlin's small talk.

"Oh, didn't you know? I'm half-incubus. I'm very attuned to people's dreams," Merlin explained openly. Then he smirked and added, "But don't worry, I'm not the type to indulge in unsolicited wet dreams."

Kirei didn't really worry about that. In fact he imagined it would be a pretty disappointing experience for both parties. Though he would rather avoid such a sinful encounter to begin with.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't observe my dreams anymore," Kirei said strongly, rising from his bed.

"Why? Do you have something to hide?" Merlin asked, obviously probing.

"No, I just don't think my dreams are pleasant enough," Kirei said quickly, walking away. He needed to find Saber. He promised to buy her new clothes. Now that Lancer was taken out, other Servants would probably be cautious, so it would be a good opportunity for some shopping. It was already afternoon, but Kirei could think of a few shops that would be open until the evening. The mall seemed the best suited for their purpose.

As he closed the door, Kirei could hear Merlin mutter, "I want to see them _precisely_ , because I don't think they are pleasant."

*

A day had passed since Einzbern's base had been invaded. The moon shone through the broken windows and damaged walls into the destroyed stronghold.

"The castle is wrecked," Irisviel muttered, as she walked through the damaged halls. Assassin was following her, looking after her.

Assassin returned shortly after the intruders left the forest. She had realized that a battle had broken out, but the distance was too great for her to be able to return to the castle quickly enough. Not that Irisviel was there to see it. She only regained consciousness a few hours later. Kiritsugu told her what had happened then.

Right now, Kiritsugu left to secure a new hideout for them, while Maiya was still bedridden from the wounds inflicted by Kotomine. It was just Irisviel and Assassin walking through the empty castle.

"Assassin, or should I call you Serenity?" Irisviel said, wanting to break the silence. She turned around to see the Servant nod as if to indicate that both forms of address were fine. "Serenity, can I make a request of you?"

"As long as it doesn't interfere with my Master's order, I will do my best to fulfill it," Serenity assured her.

Irisviel smiled at her. In the moonlit hall the Servant known as Hassan of Serenity looked like nothing more than a short woman, hiding behind a skull mask. However, her determined voice betrayed that innocent appearance.

"It's about the man who attacked me, Saber's Master," Irisviel said, as she leaned against the wall. She could still feel the pain in her stomach where Kotomine struck here. "He admitted he wanted to meet your Master."

Irisviel could see Assassin tense up.

"I don't think they should be allowed to meet. Kotomine is the most dangerous Master in this Grail War. That's why, please, Serenity, you must make sure to stop him if he appears again. For Kiritsugu's sake."

Assassin was silent for a moment before nodding.

"I understand. I will be wary of Saber's Master and if I have a chance… _I will end his life_ ," Serenity said, her voice deathly cold. Even though the hostility hadn't been aimed at her, Irisviel still shivered.

"Thank you, Serenity, with that we should—"

However, a familiar arrogant voice interrupted her.

"Oh, so here you are. I was starting to wonder if you were still alive, Irisviel." Gilgamesh entered the hall where the two of them had been talking. "It seems I missed a battle."

"Indeed, you did," Irisviel said, not hiding her bitterness. 

However, Gilgamesh seemed to be barely interested by the skirmish that took place in the castle. He looked around and then sighed.

"Is there some place that's not covered in rubble? From what I've seen the banquet hall is completely ruined," Gilgamesh asked, as he continued to move forward, passing by Irisviel.

"Wait, where have you been for the last day?" she shouted, scowling at him.

Gilgamesh stopped, then flashed a grin at her.

"You complained about the company you have to keep while drinking so I went out to look for some suitable people. Anyway, do you have any suggestions where we could conduct our banquet? King of Conquerors should be here soon with the wine."

*

 _She had been prepared from a young age to be an assassin. Her body and soul were shaped so she would become a perfect incarnation of a_ poison girl _._

_Able to kill with nothing but touch. Just a single brush against her could be lethal._

_She murdered hundreds of people using that body as a weapon, but the more she did that the more she understood._

_She had become someone who could never hold someone dear to her. Not without killing the one she loved the most._

*

Kiritsugu stirred as someone shook his shoulder.

"We have reached the place, sir," the driver said, gently trying to rouse Kiritsugu from his nap.

Kiritsugu blinked at his driver. His mind was still groggy, clinging to the vestiges of the dream he saw.

"I see. Let's get moving. We need to make sure everything is prepared for Irisviel," Kiritsugu said, forcibly pushing himself out of the car.

He couldn't waste time pitying the girl who was turned into the weapon. Not when he was forced to treat her as one.

*

Waver didn't expect today to escalate like this.

He ended up grudgingly agreeing to go shopping with his Servant to buy him pants as a sort of prepayment. Waver wasn't sure why he even agreed when Iskander had yet to slay even one Servant.

Waver knew the answer, but he definitely wasn't about to admit it to himself.

As it turned out he wasn't the only Master who found himself funding his Servant's attire because he ran into Saber's Master in the mall. He could see Saber looking between various outfits, while completely ignoring Caster's advice.

Waver found Saber's Master slightly intimidating, but the man calmly explained that he wasn't looking for a fight right now. Not in such a crowded place anyway.

Waver found himself sighing loudly in relief. He decided to cut Rider's attempt at small talk short, and practically pulled him out of the shop.

Except at the entrance they ran into another familiar figure.

"Ah, King of Conquerors. Rejoice, for I'm inviting you to a banquet," Archer announced.

"Wow, that's unexpected. What's the occasion?" Rider asked, while Waver was gathering his jaw from the floor.

"There's only so much entertainment one can derive from drinking alone," Archer said. "In return I expect you to use your chariot to transport the alcohol for the party. I already made an order in the best shop in town." 

Archer produced a small piece of paper and handed it to Iskander.

"Go there and tell them Gilgamesh sent you," Archer instructed.

It took Waver a moment to realize what he had just heard.

"Gilgamesh???!!!!!!" He shouted, but was quickly silenced when Rider flicked his forehead.

"Come on, you're only figuring it now?" Rider chastised him, before turning to Gilgamesh. "I don't mind, just tell me where we are having the banquet."

"Einzbern's castle is in the middle of the forest. If you have trouble finding it ask Saber and her Master for directions. They are also invited. Pass that information to them. Tell Saber that it's a gathering of kings and she's bound to come. Caster should also be with them, tell him that I expect his presence and will be most displeased at his absence."

"Can't you tell them yourself?"

"Fool, I need to return to the castle and prepare a place for our festivities. Surely, you can pass the invitations along in addition to transporting our drinks," Gilgamesh said haughtily.

Iskander looked thoughtful.

"Sure, why not, but don't blame me if they decide not to come," he finally said.

However, Archer shook his head as if such a concept was ridiculous.

"As long as you accurately pass along my message, there will be no problem," he assured them, then turned around obviously deciding that this was the end of conversation. "I will be awaiting your arrival, King of Conquerors."

Annoyingly, everything went exactly as Archer had foreseen. As they left the shop Gilgamesh directed them to, Rider carrying three crates of wine in one arm, they ran into Caster, Saber, and her Master, yet again. It seemed Saber had chosen some modern clothes for herself. She was wearing black pants and white shirt. On top of it she wore a black jacket.

"Oy, Saber. Archer is inviting us to a banquet!" Rider called out, waving to her with his free hand.

"Why should I accept his invitation?" she asked, clearly unhappy with the idea of going.

"He said he wanted to make a gathering for kings, but if you don't feel like attending, I guess it will be just us two," Rider said, as if he didn't mind her coming. Waver could tell he was acting.

"I will come," Saber said immediately.

"Excuse me, where will that feast take place?" Saber's Master asked.

"Oh, in Einzbern's Castle," Rider replied easily. Something seemed to shift in the man's expression.

"I will come with you," he immediately said to Saber. She nodded in understanding. Waver wondered what it was about.

"Well, it doesn't seem I'm invited, so I guess I will return to—" Caster started, but Rider quickly interrupted him.

"Oh, no, no. Archer asked me to convey that you are _especially invited_. He even went as far as saying that he will be disappointed if you don't come. He must really hold you in high regard," Rider said cheerfully.

Caster seemed to wilt a bit upon hearing that. 

"Oh, right. I should have known…" he muttered to himself in defeat.

Saber and her Master seemed surprised at his dejected reaction.

"Do you know him, Caster?" Saber asked.

"Not directly, no," Merlin muttered. "But you could say we are naturally aware of each other." 

Rider laughed, visibly delighted at the crowd that would attend the feast.

"Well, if you are all going, how about you ride with me? There should be enough space in my chariot for you," he offered.

Waver just sighed, preparing himself for a very cramped journey.

*

There was a giant hole in one of the walls of the castle. Waver blinked to make sure he didn't imagine it, but upon closer scrutiny he realized that there was even more damage. It seemed that the castle had been attacked recently.

His observation only got confirmed as their chariot rode into the completely destroyed entrance of the castle.

"We're here, King of Heroes!" Rider shouted happily.

Archer appeared almost immediately, followed by his Master.

"Rider just destroyed all our alarms," she said with a loud sigh.

"So what? It's not like we will stay in this castle much longer, and until then my presence guarantees your safety," Archer replied with a shrug.

Einzbern's Master muttered something under her breath that Waver couldn't hear, but Gilgamesh seemed to pay no mind to her words, as he turned towards his guest.

"Welcome! Since there's been some unwanted guests, some of the halls aren't in the best condition, but you needn't worry, as I already prepared an appropriate spot for our banquet!"

Soon all of them were led to the central courtyard. There was a small garden there. Servants sat in the middle of the courtyard, while Masters took seats some distance away from them, but still within the earshot. They had introduced themselves to each other earlier, but there was still an awkward aura hanging around them. Waver had a feeling he was missing something.

"I hope you don't mind my company," Kotomine said as he sat opposite Einzbern. Gilgamesh handed one of the bottles he bought to them earlier. Einzbern was now pouring wine into two glasses after Waver declined to drink. He couldn't hold his alcohol and getting drunk while amidst enemies sounded like a terrible idea. "I know we clashed yesterday, but I hope we can put our differences aside today."

Archer's Master pushed a glass toward him.

"I'm only agreeing to it because Archer invited you," she proclaimed.

"Is Kiritsugu Emiya not present?" Saber's Master asked while looking around, as if he expected him to jump out of one of many windows overlooking the courtyard.

"Unfortunately for you, he is busy securing our next hideout," Einzbern said, not hiding her bitterness.

Waver was now sure that there was some history between Einzbern and Kotomine.

"Ah, that's understandable. Lancer's Master did cause quite a lot of destruction," Kirei agreed. He didn't seem to really care now that he heard that Kiritsugu Emiya wasn't here. Waver spent enough time in Clock Tower to recognize a polite attempt at keeping the conversation going without actually engaging with it.

"It's not difficult to mend buildings. Wounds on the body are more difficult to heal," she replied, still sounding bitter.

Kotomine took a small sip of his wine.

"If someone cherishes their body, they should avoid taking part in the Grail War at all costs. The moment you agree to take part in a fight like this you have no right to complain about any bodily harm befalling you," Kotomine replied, he seemed slightly frustrated by Irisviel's jab, but not enough for it to show on his face.

"Then you will have no complaints if you lose your life next time?"

"I'm definitely not venting to you about almost being shot to death by Kiritsugu Emiya during the battle in docks," he pointed out.

"Wait, how do you know who shot you?" Waver asked.

"Caster saw it," Kotomine replied with a shrug, as if it had been someone else being shot.

"I was about to ask, but what's your relationship with Caster—"

However, while she was saying that Rider's loud laugh interrupted her.

"So, he's Merlin! That explains why he's been following the King of Knights!" Iskander said, causing the Masters to fall silent.

"Indeed. I believed that it was quite fitting to invite a Kingmaker to a banquet of kings. Even if he is biased for obvious reasons," Gilgamesh proclaimed with a smile, as he took a drink from his chalice.

"Now, now, you are overestimating me," Merlin said in a feeble attempt to escape the attention. "I'm just a humble mage, nothing more—"

This time both Rider and Archer burst into laughter. 

"Humble mage?! Really? Did you hear that, Saber?"

Saber's face was distorted in disgust.

"Humble is definitely not a word I would use to describe him," she agreed. "Unless I had to compare him to you, King of Heroes."

"You really have a sharp tongue when you want, King of Knights," Rider said as he laughed. However, he made a thoughtful face and turned towards Archer. "But I'm curious, you seemed to have a surprising amount of respect for him. Why do you hold Mage of Flowers in such a high regard?"

Gilgamesh smirked.

"That's obvious. It's because he's one of few beings whose Clairvoyance can match mine," Gilgamesh explained. "There are only two people like that. It's a shame Solomon wasn't also summoned here."

"Oh please, he would get all gloomy as soon as he got drunk," Merlin said, visibly forgetting about his own discomfort in favour of criticizing someone else. "He's the last person I would invite to a party."

Gilgamesh just chuckled, visibly amused.

"Wait, so you have Clairvoyance, King of Heroes?" Iskander asked, visibly interested.

"Have you not heard about my exploits? It's no secret I can witness the future," Gilgamesh pointed out. "Unlike Merlin, here, who can witness the present."

"Wait, if you can see the future, don't you know already who will win this War?" Iskander asked.

Archer huffed.

"Fool, do you start reading a book from the last page? I would be unworthy of my title of King of Heroes to waste my ability in such a way. Especially, when the title of the winner is absolutely meaningless in this case. The Grail already belongs to me," Gilgamesh announced haughtily.

Unsurprisingly, the other two heroes disagreed.

*

Serenity didn't pay much attention to the Servants gathered in the middle of the courtyard.

Servants were naturally resistant to things like poison. She would need to touch them through an extended period of time to ensure their death.

However, Masters were different. Just one quick touch would be lethal to them, which was why Serenity's attention was focused on them. Or specifically, on one of them.

_"Kotomine is the most dangerous Master in this Grail War. That's why please, Serenity, make sure to stop him if he appears again. For Kiritsugu's sake."_

Irisviel's words were ringing in her ears. This was a perfect chance. Kotomine might have survived being shot due to a well-timed healing spell, but no human had ever lived after being inflicted with her poison. Serenity would wait for the right moment and then assassinate Saber's Master.

She was well aware that she wouldn't live through this. Kotomine was officially one of Archer's guests. As a host, he would surely punish anyone who harmed someone he had invited to his banquet.

But it didn't matter. Soon, Irisviel would turn into the Grail and Archer's ownership would get transferred to Kiritsugu.

Her Master wasn't here, but Serenity was sure he would agree—her usefulness was about to run out. And if that was the case, she wanted to at least make her death meaningful. 

_I wonder if the Great Founder will come for me, as he did when I died as a human_ , she thought to herself, as she prepared for her final act in this war. The Great Founder was the one who reaped the lives of other Hassans when the time of their death came. Serenity still remembered the ringing off the bell when her own death befell her and the deep sense of tranquility. _Then again he probably won't bother coming for a Servant. It was already an honor to be beheaded once by him._

Serenity realized she was nervous. Having to act without her Master's guidance made her second guess herself. Was this really the right choice? 

She thought about her Master and then she remembered—the sad eyes with which he looked at Irisviel. The pain and longing that Serenity recognized far too well.

Suddenly, she felt completely calm. That's right. She could never hold anyone. Her body wouldn't allow her. But if her actions lessened the burden on her Master, if her poisonous body could help grant that man's wish. Then, she would have no reason to hesitate anymore.

To make sure that her Master could hold the person he loves, she would give his enemy the embrace of death.

The moment she resolved to do it everything happened almost instantaneously. Serenity absorbed all the information all at once. Saber threateningly holding her sword while glaring at Archer. Rider watching the two of them while drinking the wine. Caster who seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Masters looking worriedly at the situation.

Kotomine turning towards her. Sensing her attack at the last second. But he was just a human. He was too slow to properly react to a Servant's ambush. All he managed to do was knock off her mask, before he was overpowered.

Serenity could feel the warmth of her enemy's body, as she pinned him to the ground. Most of his body was clothed, but his hands and head weren't. She grabbed his hands in hers and pressed her forehead against his. Kotomine hissed in pain, as poison started to spread through his body.

This should have been enough poison. Serenity started to raise her head, her gaze moving to Rider's Master. There was no reason to stop, she should also take out a second Master to make sure she could— 

However, as she was thinking that, something unexpected happened. Kotomine moved his hands against hers. Serenity didn't try to stop him. She was much stronger, so there was no reason to pay him any more mind. Especially when the deadly poison was already slowly numbing his body and robbing him of strength.

And then he laced his fingers with hers.

Serenity froze at that unexpected development. Most people instinctively tried to move away from her after being touched, realizing her body was the source of their anguish. The man below her had to be aware of that. It was a matter of seconds at this point before his heart stopped from the overwhelming amount of poison.

But rather than run away, trying futilely to extend his life, he was now holding her hands.

"Saber!" he shouted. What a fool. With her face so close to his, he only ended up shortening his life even more by inhaling the poisonous fumes her body exuded. 

Kotomine was gritting his teeth, barely stopping himself from shouting in pain. Poison kept slipping into his body through their laced fingers.

And yet, he didn't let go of her hands.

Serenity froze in place. It wasn't that she couldn't pull away from Kotomine. But rather that she couldn't make herself pull away.

She understood his intention. He was merely trying to keep her in place so his Servant could finish her off. It was clear from the determined look in his eyes. But somehow Serenity couldn't find it in herself to care. 

She told herself that her only wish was to serve the Master who summoned her, but it was a lie. She had another wish, buried deep down in her heart.

Serenity wished to be able to embrace someone. To hold them close without feeling their pulse slow down. To feel their warmth, rather than hold a slowly cooling corpse.

She was well aware that the man she was straddling was her enemy. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a Servant trying to take his life. However, the tenacity with which he clung to his life, desperately drawing breaths, despite his heart threatening to fail him at any moment. The determination with which he held her hands. It was the first time something like this happened. This was the longest anybody ever held Serenity's hands.

In this short moment everything around her seemed to stop existing. All Serenity wished for was to keep holding those hands for just a moment longer. She smiled at the man underneath her. She wasn't sure if he could even see her, as his gaze was growing unfocused due to poison, but it didn't matter. Her time was running out, distantly she could hear a ringing of the bell. She needed to express her gratitude before their time ran out.

"Thank you…" she muttered. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you for granting my wish—"

A sword swung down beheading her in one fellow swoop. Serenity fell into a familiar tranquil darkness.

*

Saber kicked Assassin's headless body away from her Master. It slowly disintegrated as it hit a nearby wall.

Once more Arthur was too late. Kirei's breath was dangerously shallow and his hands seemed to have started to dissolve from the poison.

"Please, please," she muttered, desperately hoping that Avalon would be able to stop the poison spreading through Kirei's body. Normal poison wouldn't be able to even get past Avalon, but Assassin's poison and the way she administered it were clearly abnormal.

"Saber." It took Arthur a moment to realize Archer was talking to her. She turned her head to stare angrily at him. Gilgamesh was standing above her holding a chalice. She glared at him. 

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Make him drink this. It's an antidote that should be able to neutralize the poison," he explained, extending the chalice to her. When she kept glaring at him, Archer added. "Even if he was only here to accompany you, he's still a guest at this banquet. It would be an insult to my name to have a guest of mine poisoned to death."

Arthur realized that Archer was speaking truth. Even if he insulted her at the end of this banquet, he hadn't organized it with the intent of ambushing anyone. Even if Archer and Assassin's Masters were working together, it didn't mean that Archer knew Assassin's orders.

Arthur carefully poured the contents of chalice into Kirei's mouth. Her Master coughed, but swallowed the antidote. The effect was almost instantaneous. Kirei breathed easier and his face brightened a bit. 

"You should drink this too. Even if that woman didn't touch you, you still could have breathed in some of her poison," Archer said, as he pushed another chalice into the hands of Rider's Master. Saber saw him throw a panicked glance at his Servant, who nodded in response. Still looking fearful, but resolute Waver drank the contents of the chalice.

"I think you were far enough away not to be affected, but if you feel faint I can share some of that antidote with you too, Irisviel," Gilgamesh said, turning to his Master.

"No, it won't be necessary. I feel perfectly fine," she said, sounding bitter. "If you are worried about me, you should—"

However, she never got to tell her Servant what she expected of him, as she suddenly spasmed, before losing consciousness. Archer moved just in time to stop her from hitting the ground. He scooped her up with uncharacteristic gentleness and carried her in his arms.

"I'm afraid this is where we have to end our banquet," he announced.

"That's an unfortunate end to this feast, but I guess we already said all there is to say." Rider rose from where he was sitting. He walked a bit to an empty spot where he could summon his chariot. "Saber, I know it's probably not the best time to say it, but I don't recognize you as a king anymore. You should wake up from that sad dream of yours, little girl, or else you will lose whatever pride you have left as a Heroic Spirit."

Arthur grit her teeth but said nothing. This wasn't the time or place for a fight. She needed to focus on her Master's well-being first and foremost. She just silently watched Rider and his Master ride off.

"You needn't listen to him, Saber," Archer chimed in. "You are correct. You should keep following your path." Somehow that acknowledgement didn't sit well with her, especially once Gilgamesh admitted that he found her struggles enjoyable to watch. "Also, you have the most curious Master."

"Curious how?" Merlin asked, before Arthur could voice the same question.

"Oh, have you not seen his facial expression?" Gilgamesh replied, but as he said that Irisviel groaned in pain in his arms. "Unfortunately, I don't have time for any more discussion tonight, but I hope we meet again. This Grail War certainly seems more interesting now."

Arthur sighed in relief as Gilgamesh walked away. Kirei's condition seemed to have stabilized. His breathing was more even, but he seemed to have fallen asleep under the effects of Avalon. Merlin joined her, hovering above her and Kirei as if unsure what to do. As Saber attempted to raise her Master from the ground, he stirred in her arms.

"...Claudia," he muttered.

That wasn't a name Saber recognized, but she didn't have time to think about it.

"Come on, Caster, help me. Now that Rider rode off we need a different way to somehow transport Kirei back."

Merlin looked at her unhappily, but she wouldn't budge. Her Master's safety was paramount for winning this Grail War. She had to prove Rider wrong. She had to change the past.


	4. Wishes Trapped in Purgatory

"You finally came, Caster," Tokiomi said, not hiding his displeasure.

Merlin just smiled at him. Smiling was easy once you got the hang of it and most people would react more positively if you greeted them with a smile.

"I was busy fighting in the Grail War just as you ordered. Also, given the amount of defenses and alarms you have here, there was no reason to stick too close to you," Merlin replied with a shrug. "It's safer if we fight the battles away from you, isn't it?"

Tokiomi went silent at that. He was so basic and easy to read, Merlin was sure he would die of boredom if he had to stick longer than necessary around him.

"Still you should have reported to me," Tokiomi decided to argue.

"Kotomine already does that. His reports are way more thorough than mine will ever be, so there's no point in making you listen to the same stuff a second time," Merlin pointed out. "Come on, I'm already fighting as your proxy in this war despite not being a warrior, at least spare me the grunt work when you have an obedient disciple like Kotomine around."

Tokiomi made a loud sigh.

"Fine, I won't expect reports, but try to at least inform me about your actions. Kirei certainly had no idea that you came in contact with Lancer's faction. _And_ you haven't reported that to me," he said, in a doomed attempt to chastise his Servant.

"You were seeing exactly what I was doing with that familiar of yours. Why should I tell you something that you've seen for yourself? Not to mention my actions resulted in a sound defeat of Lancer's team so I'm not sure what you are complaining about. You should be praising me, if anything," Merlin said, as he leaned against the wall. 

"Your actions are just too frivolous," Tokiomi complained.

"What else did you expect of a no-good mage like me?" Merlin asked, as if the idea of expecting anything more of him was hilarious. "Beside if I keep being so frivolous I might just get stabbed by another Servant and then you could take over Saber just like you wanted."

Tokiomi seemed to freeze at that. He seemed to be surprised that Caster figured it out.

"How do you—?"

Merlin finally stepped forward.

"That much is obvious. Nobody would summon me as their first choice. You probably hoped to get one of the Knights of Round Table, but you overlooked the fact that her sheath was named after the very same Avalon where I ended up being imprisoned. Not to mention, I was the one who gave Avalon to Arthur. If Arthur was summoned, I was the obvious second option when using this catalyst. You have no one else to blame but yourself for this turn of events," Merlin's voice dropped at the end, to sound serious enough so that Tokiomi would understand the message.

He froze in place.

"Are you threatening me?" Tokiomi asked, visibly losing his nerve.

"Me? Threatening my Master? Why would I do something like that?" Merlin asked, making sure that his voice sounded cheerful once more. "I was just pointing out that you really shouldn't vent the frustration you feel towards yourself at your Servant. It doesn't strengthen teamwork if you know what I mean."

Tokiomi looked conflicted for a moment before sighing loudly.

"I will take that into consideration. For now please return to helping Saber and Kirei," he said acting like he didn't just completely lose face.

"Of course," Merlin replied, perfectly faking his seriousness. He turned around as if to leave, before stopping himself in a calculated performance of seemingly having remembered something. "Oh, before I go. Could you tell me who Claudia is?"

Tokiomi blinked at him.

"Claudia?"

"Kotomine mentioned that name," Caster specified. "It seemed to be someone important to him."

Finally, recognition appeared on Tokiomi's face.

"Oh, yes, Claudia was his wife. She died three years ago," Tokiomi explained. "Kirei came under my tutelage a year after that."

"Oh, was he close with his wife?" Merlin asked.

Tokiomi shot him a look. It seemed Merlin had taken his probing slightly too far.

"He was devastated after her death from what I was told by his father. I wasn't about to ask a widower what his feelings were about his wife. Kirei didn't seem to want to talk about her, which was understandable given how she died."

"Oh, so there was something interesting about her death," Merlin said with a smile. "I knew there had to be a story there."

Tokiomi winced.

"Why did you get so hung up on Claudia? I'm surprised you ever heard her name."

"Kotomine muttered it while he was half-conscious from Assassin's poison," Merlin admitted. "I caught a glimpse of his emotions when that happened."

Tokiomi lowered his gaze.

"I can understand your curiosity, but this doesn't have anything to do with Grail War," he said, visibly wanting to avoid the topic.

"Oh, but it has everything to do with Grail War," Merlin pressed on. He needed to get more information and he was ready to bluff to obtain it. "What if Kotomine plans to betray you to resurrect his wife?"

Tokiomi just stared at Caster for a long moment.

"Do you have reasons to suspect his betrayal?" Tokiomi asked coldly.

"No," Merlin admitted. He had no concrete proof. "I just have a bad feeling."

"Then you should rest easy because I already asked Kirei about it and he doesn't harbour such a wish," Tokiomi explained.

"How can you be so sure?"

Tokiomi sighed, visibly unwilling to speak more. However after a moment he started to explain.

"His wife was extremely sickly. It was as if she attracted maladies. Even if she was resurrected, she wouldn't have long to live," he admitted. "She would just suffer even more before dying once again... She would probably just take her own life again."

"She committed suicide?" Merlin asked for confirmation. Tokiomi seemed to have realized he had said too much. He looked to the side, clearly angry at himself.

"Yes, though only Kirei knows what exactly happened. I hope this satisfies your curiosity. I urge you not to ask Kirei about this matter," Tokiomi said strongly. He seemed to actually care about the mental well-being of his apprentice even if he was using him as a pawn in this war. How unusual.

"I get it, I get it," Merlin assured him. "I promise not to ask Kotomine any insensitive questions."

Tokiomi seemed to be satisfied with that, dismissing Caster.

Merlin shook his head as he disintegrated into his spirit form.

"What a mess," he muttered to himself, as he flew out of Tokiomi's mansion.

Merlin never expected this Grail War to be straightforward, but this was becoming ridiculous. Right after being summoned, Merlin looked through some of Tokiomi's documents only to discover that Tokiomi was planning to sacrifice his Servant to open the route to Root.

This obviously meant that long-term cooperation was out of question. Luckily, Arthur was summoned by someone else. Merlin initially assumed that if needed he could convince Tokiomi's apprentice to ditch his teacher and instead work towards his own dream. Except then he actually met Kirei and that just left him with more questions than answers.

It wasn't that Kirei had done anything wrong. 

However, after spending several days with him Merlin was now sure of one thing. Kirei Kotomine did not experience happiness. Normally, lack of happiness simply meant a whole lot of sadness, but this wasn't the case either. It wasn't that the sadness took the place of Kirei's happiness. There was just nothing there. As if someone removed the very concept of happiness out of him.

Merlin met many people in his life. But never someone like this. Happiness and joy were basic human emotions. They were what made someone a human.

It meant that Kirei was missing some part of humanity. Merlin could tell Arthur had also noticed that something was off, though he doubted she figured out what exactly.

Speaking of Arthur, hearing what her wish for Grail was only complicated things even more. Merlin had assumed that she wished to redo the past, which would be fine. Merlin was planning to help her in that regard. He didn't really have a dream he wanted from the Grail, so supporting Arthur's dream seemed like a natural choice, except…

"That girl wants to stop being a king…"

It was foolish. It was naive. It was understandable.

Arthur definitely deserved to live a life of a human. After all, Merlin was one of the key people who erased that possibility. However, Arthur wasn't trying to redo the past because she wanted to live as a human, but because she believed that she was lacking as a king.

Merlin gritted his teeth.

This was one wish he didn't want to grant.

And above all else, the last few days he spent investigating the city made him suspect something. He had no concrete proof yet, but his intuition made him almost certain that he was right.

Something was wrong with this Holy Grail War ritual. And well, it just so happened that there was one person who could help him get down to the bottom of that mystery _and_ the truth about Kirei Kotomine.

*

_She was smiling at him. Even though her life was slowly running out she was smiling at him. Not for the first time he thought she looked like an angel._

_A bloodied, dying angel._

_He couldn't help himself. He cried. Tears streamed down his face._

_"See, you are crying," she said, even though her breath was growing shallower by the minute. "You did love me after all…"_

_Her voice drifted off into deathly silence and the hand with which she attempted to dry his tears fell limply from his cheek._

_She was dead._

_And she was wrong._

_So very, very wrong._

Kirei stirred. It took him a moment to realize he was in his bed.

The scenes from his dream flashed before his eyes and he almost threw up. He'd been trying so hard to bury those memories. To not remember. But yesterday when Assassin was looking at him… her gaze was so similar to the look his wife gave him back then. At the very end.

"Master, are you alright?"

Kirei blinked, realizing that Saber was right next to him. It seemed she had been sleeping on the sofa, but heard him wake up and came to check on him.

"I guess," he said, trying to make his voice return to normal. However, he must have failed, as Saber gave him a worried look.

"Did you have a bad dream?" she asked.

Kirei was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she continued.

He shook his head. He wanted to forget. He wanted to bury that memory deeply enough to never again remember it.

Saber didn't press. Instead she sat next to him. She didn't attempt to hug him or do any other unnecessary show of affection. She just sat next to him.

"I was really worried about you yesterday, Master," she said. "You were extremely pale after Assassin attacked you."

"Did something else happen while I was asleep?" Kirei asked. He was grateful for the distraction Saber was providing. He needed to focus on the Grail War. On conflict and potential killings yet to be done in the name of Tohsaka's family's long-held wish.

Saber grimaced.

"I might have had a disagreement with Caster. He didn't seem to approve of my wish for the Grail. He didn't say it outright, but he rarely voices important things, so that wasn't surprising," she said, while looking frustrated. She was quiet for a moment, before once more turning towards Kirei. "What about you Master, do you also find my wish foolish?"

Kirei blinked at her, caught off guard by her question.

"I didn't really have time to think about it," he said, trying to buy time. It was true to an extent, he had been poisoned shortly after Saber voiced her wish. "Still, I am no king. I don't feel like I'm in a position where I can judge whether your wish is right or wrong. And I have no intention of interfering with your wish."

Saber was silent for a moment, before making a small smile.

"Yes, you are right. I became a king after abandoning my humanity, so I shouldn't burden a human with a question of whether my path is right or wrong," she said, her eyes once more shining with strength.

Kirei was glad his non-answer cheered up Saber. However, a moment later she turned towards him.

"How about you, Master? Have you found your own wish, yet?" she asked innocently.

Kirei could feel his heart clench, as the memories he had only just buried threatened to once more resurface.

"Master?" Saber asked, looking worried.

He shook his head, trying to desperately not think about those pure, grateful eyes staring at him.

"No, I still have no wishes," he proclaimed, as if to convince himself more than anything else.

*

Kiritsugu rushed back to the castle, as soon as the Command Seals on his hand disappeared. Irisviel was not answering her phone. She had probably already started to transform into a Grail, now that the second Servant got eliminated. Einzberns said she was an imperfect container and that she would probably start breaking after absorbing two Servants, but Kiritsugu hoped that against all odds she would be able to hold her human body together just a bit longer.

Kiritsugu gritted his teeth. No, he had no time to get sentimental. He needed to secure the Grail and ascertain Archer's whereabouts.

As he reached the castle, he sensed a Servant's presence at one of the upper floors. Was it Archer? It was dangerous, but he would have to check.

When Kiritsugu opened the doors of the room he was greeted by a familiar sight.

"Iri!" he shouted, recognizing his wife. He slowly approached the bed on which she was lying. She was sleeping, but her body still looked human.

Kiritsugu let out a deep sigh of relief.

"You are late, mongrel," a familiar voice said. Kiritsugu turned to see Gilgamesh lying on the sofa with a book in hand. He wasn't even looking at Kiritsugu, his eyes glued to the book. "I hope you have prepared a residence worthy of a king."

"What happened?" Kiritsugu asked, barely hiding his displeasure.

"I threw a banquet and Assassin decided to use that opportunity to attack one of the guests. Needlessly to say, she didn't have much longer to live after such a brazen stunt," Gilgamesh explained, still not looking after Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu clenched his fists.

"So you killed her?!" he shouted.

"No, I let Saber finish her off," Gilgamesh replied flatly, completely ignoring Kiritsugu's indignation. "Attacking Masters in front of three Servants can only be considered a very unrefined suicide attack, so your anger is completely misguided. She was the one who decided to throw her life away. Though if it makes you feel a bit better, she seemed to be pretty happy in her final moments."

Kiritsugu could barely control his anger. What did Gilgamesh know about her circumstances?

"Happy? She was turned into a living weapon! She was forced to kill people and you have audacity to say she was happy?!"

"Yeah, she was very happy," Gilgamesh repeated. He finally closed the book and turned towards Kiritsugu. "Though if you want to dismiss her emotions and consider her a tragic weapon rather than a person then I won't stop you. Though it tells me more about _you_ than it does about her."

Kiritsugu gritted his teeth. He had to control himself.

"What about Iri?" he asked.

"You should be falling to your knees in gratitude, mongrel. I used one of my treasures to stabilize her. She probably won't be able to maintain her form for more than another two Servants though. Maybe even one if Rider or Saber end up losing next, though that's unlikely."

Kiritsugu realized something was off.

"You are taking this seriously," he said, suddenly feeling concerned. Kiritsugu couldn't help feeling like he missed something important.

"Don't misunderstand, mongrel. I just don't want to be forced into a pact with you. For that purpose I need Irisviel to last as long as possible." Kiritsugu let out a breath. Gilgamesh smiled at him in a most condescending way, as he pushed himself to actually sit straight on the sofa. "Are you satisfied now that my motivation can be easily digested by your pathetic mind?"

Kiritsugu felt himself tense once more.

"Are you messing with me?" he asked. He knew he shouldn't antagonize Archer, but this was too much. This asshole— 

"You are the one who backed himself into a hopeless situation. I would be insulted if it wasn't for the fact that your anger is nothing more than a display of your own powerlessness. If you wanted to live a happy life, you should have just ran away with her."

"What can you know about my situation?" Kiritsugu snapped.

"I know what you chose to do. And choices humans make are the most telling thing about them. You chose a course of action that would lead to the death of Irisviel, yet you still ran here worried about her. You can claim that you were worried about her not as a human, but a Grail if you want," Gilgamesh added quickly, stopping Kiritsugu's rebuttal. "But I'd rather you kept that delusion to yourself."

Kiritsugu clenched his fists. "So what do you think?"

Gilgamesh didn't feel any rush to answer, choosing to pour wine into his glass first.

"That you are a hypocrite," Archer said slowly, as he swirled the wine inside the glass. "The worst kind of hypocrite. Not even an amusing one because once you confront the extent of your naivety you will realize there is nothing. Just a husk of a man who gave up on everything dear to him for a pipe dream."

"It's not a pipe dream," Kiritsugu replied, his throat so tight he could barely choke out the words.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion, mongrel," Gilgamesh replied. "If you are done here, you should make sure we quickly move to the new place. I don't think the terrible draft we get from that destroyed wall is doing our dear Irisviel any favours."

Kiritsugu grit his teeth.

"I will tell the attendants to pack the most essential things. We will move in a few hours," he said, forcing himself to stay calm. He wasn't sure what it was about Gilgamesh that made him lose his temper so much. His words got under Kiritsugu's skin like nothing else.

Even now that he'd left the room, he could still feel Archer's condescending gaze.

*

"What do you mean, I should rest?!" Waver complained, after Iskander flicked him on the forehead to make him fall back on the bed.

"We don't know whether Assassin's poison had an adverse effect on you. Besides I think we should rethink our strategy," Rider explained.

Waver blinked at him.

"Rethink our strategy?"

"Yes, I realized that the alliance between Saber and Caster is a real problem. She's one of the most powerful knights out there and he is one of the most powerful mages. They don't seem to get along, but their synergy on the battlefield is too good. That Caster might even find a way to escape from my Noble Phantasm."

"He's that good?"

Iskander nodded.

"That's why if we want to win we need to also find an ally. And since Archer is too prideful to accept anyone we have only one choice."

"Berserker? Are you sure we will be able to hold a conversation with him?" Waver asked, not hiding his scepticism.

"We don't need to talk with him, but with his Master," Iskander pointed out.

"Well, that's true, but just how will we find him?" Waver worried.

"Now that's the problem for tomorrow," Rider said, as he once more flicked him on the forehead. Waver curled up on the bed, while clutching his head. "For now you should rest."

*

"You shouldn't be moving around, Master," Saber said from behind him.

Kirei could understand her worries. He's been incompetent enough to almost get killed twice within few days. That couldn't have inspired confidence in his Servant.

"I have already recovered. Besides, we are only scouting today. We need to figure out where Berserker and Rider's hideouts are. Caster said he would keep an eye on the Archer team to find out their new location."

"I know. It's just…" Saber paused as if she didn't know if she should continue. She bit her lips in frustration before finally finishing. "It just feels like you are pushing yourself."

Kirei blinked at her before slowly turning around to face her.

"Don't you want to win, Saber?" he asked. Kirei felt confused. Saber was determined to achieve her victory, so why was she holding back?

"I don't want to achieve it by sacrificing someone," she said. She hung her head making it impossible for Kirei to see her expression. "That's not what a king should do, no matter what Rider and Archer say!"

Kirei blinked at her. Saber was more dispirited than he expected. That wasn't good. He needed to say something to raise her morale. Master Tokiomi would surely expect that from him.

"We swore to fight together, haven't we?" he asked. "Then you are not sacrificing me. You are just fulfilling your contract."

Saber looked at him in bewilderment.

"Were you attempting to cheer me up, Master?"

Kirei sighed. It seemed his attempt had not gone well. He sat on the nearby bench, trying to gather his thoughts. Luckily, there weren't many people at this time of day in the park, so there was no one to overhear them. Saber immediately sat next to him.

"Something like that," he said after a moment. "As someone who was raised to become the Church's Executor, I just can't agree with your assessment of our relationship. I don't feel like you are sacrificing me in any way."

"But I…"

"I know I haven't conducted myself as one, but I hope you can rely on me as your Master at least for now," Kirei said, hoping to get through. If Saber started to charge off due to his incompetence, Tokiomi would be most displeased with him.

Saber froze.

"Wait, Master, you blame yourself for what happened?" she asked, visibly surprised.

This time it was Kirei who looked at her in confusion.

"Of course, as your Master I should have put more effort into avoiding danger, so you're free to focus on the enemy Servants. No matter how you look at it, I've been nothing but a burden," he explained.

Saber stood up.

"That's not true! I was the one who failed you, so—"

Kirei raised his hand, stopping her from finishing the sentence.

"You defeated two Servants, Saber. Those are the facts. You fulfilled your role perfectly. The one who failed to keep his side of the contract was me. Rather than support you in this war, I've just been running in circles."

"Master," Saber said quietly, averting her eyes. She was silent. Kirei thought it was the end of their conversation, but then she heard her whisper. "I want to grant your wish."

"Saber?"

" _King Arthur can't understand people._ It's what one of the knights who left Camelot said. I can't make up for my blunders as a king. Not yet. But if I can use this chance to understand you, Master, then maybe…"

Kirei didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. Echoes of the memories he kept locked were mocking him.

All humans wanted to be understood. Kirei didn't derive joy from being understood, but he remembered slight feelings of solace. Even as he kept straying further and further from the proper path, he was granted that one small mercy. His wife understood what kind of person he was. At least to some degree.

But that led to nothing but tragedy, when she sought to bring him salvation. When her understanding failed her and she misattributed the tears falling down Kirei's face.

There was no reason to repeat that mistake.

"Your sentiment is enough Saber," he finally said, as he extended his hand to pat her on the shoulder. "But you should focus on winning this war. It would be troublesome if you failed because you were too worried about me."

Saber didn't say anything, but she nodded in response. Kirei stood up.

"Let's return to our hideout for now. I will make dinner so you can regain strength," Kirei decided. Maybe he should have put more effort into being a proper Master to Saber. Even if it would be temporary, Saber deserved to have a Master that properly guided her in battle.

Saber shot him a look.

"You are the one who should rest Master," she decided, also standing up. "We are buying takeout."

Kirei could tell by her tone of voice that there was no arguing about it. He looked at the sky, wondering what was the proper way of being a Master. He hadn't thought about it until now, since the Holy Grail War felt like something removed from him, but maybe….

Maybe this was fine too. 

*

Tokiomi didn't give Merlin as many answers as he wanted, but that was okay. After all, there was another promising source of information.

"Why exactly should I tell you about my son's past?" Risei Kotomine asked, looking sceptical.

The resistance was to be expected. Kirei did come from a family connected to the Church.

"As I've said, I'm worried about him." It wasn't technically a lie. He was worried about Kirei, just not about _his_ well-being.

Risei sighed.

"Look, if you want to know something, ask my son directly. It's his choice whether he wants to reveal his past to you or not. Though I doubt he will. He was always the type to carry his burdens on his own," Risei said. Merlin could tell he really loved his son.

How surprising. He didn't expect that someone, who made his child undergo training to become a Church's Executor out of all things, would be full of parental love.

Then again, Merlin probably wasn't one to point fingers when it came to putting someone far too young through grueling training.

Merlin clenched his staff tighter.

"I understand. I won't pry further," he said. It would be bad if Risei became hostile, when there were other questions Merlin needed him to answer. It was better to drop the topic of Kirei now and pick it up later. "Could I ask about something else then?"

"What exactly?"

"The previous Holy Grail War," Merlin said. "I heard you were also a supervisor when it happened. You see, it feels like there's something off about the ritual. I wanted to know if anything unusual happened during the last war that could be causing issues."

Risei turned around, looking serious.

"Do you have evidence that something is wrong with the ritual?" the priest asked.

"No, not yet. However, as someone who's not completely human I'm more sensitive to things like that. I've had this bad feeling since I came here. I've been checking on the leylines, the Lesser Grail, and other Servants, but I can't find anything outside of the norm. That's why I came to ask you about the previous war. It could help me narrow down what I should be investigating."

Risei nodded.

"Hmmm, I don't see harm in sharing knowledge about the last Holy Grail War," he said. "It was mostly a failure since the Lesser Grail had been destroyed during the fighting, so the ritual couldn't be concluded."

Merlin tried not to think of how Kirei almost repeated history by killing this war's Lesser Grail.

"I don't think that would cause any long-term problems. Was there anything strange about the summonings?"

"Edelfelts had two representatives and both of them summoned the same Servant. Although from what the previous head of the Tohsaka household told me, it was due to their special Sorcery Trait."

Indeed that sounded like an exploit, but not something that could negatively impact the ritual. Was this a dead end, after all?

"Oh, and if we are talking about irregularities, there was Einzbern's Servant," Risei added.

"What about them?" Merlin asked.

"They were defeated very early, so I don't have a good idea, but—"

Before Risei could finish his sentence, someone kicked the doors of the church open.

And then machine gun fire rained down on Caster and Risei. 

*

"Hmmm, he's not here either," Iskander said.

Waver nodded and made another X on the map he was holding.

"I was hoping they would stay close to the docks, but Berserker's Master wasn't that stupid," he muttered, tapping the pencil against his chin.

"Don't sell yourself short. It was still pretty impressive that you figured out that he was hiding in the sewers from only a few hints," Iskander said, patting him on the back.

Waver doubled over from the force.

"I might be wrong, you know," he muttered, as he pushed himself up.

"No, I think you are right. Berserker's Master went through the sewers during the battle at the dock. The question is if he's still using them. It's been a few days ago, so it's possible he has changed his strategy since then."

"So we might be going on a wild goose chase?" Waver muttered, feeling dejected.

"Come on, it's too early to know for sure. It's still the best lead we have," Iskander pointed out.

Waver sighed. It seemed they would be spending more time in the sewers.

Suddenly Iskander moved his hand. His movement was so quick that Waver only realized what had happened when Rider squinted at the thing he had caught.

"It's a bug," he said after a second, moving his hand to show it to Waver.

Waver squinted at the winged bug in Rider's hand.

"I don't think it's natural. I sense some magic emanating from it. I think I heard that one of the families that takes part in Grail War specializes in magecraft that uses bugs," he said.

"Berserker's Master might belong to that family," Rider said, squashing the bug between his fingers. Then he grinned at Waver. "See, your prediction was right."

Waver lowered his gaze, embarrassed.

"We don't know that yet. And if we don't hurry, he might escape," he said, while avoiding looking at Rider.

"Hahahaha! Can't argue with that!" Iskander shouted.

He pulled on Waver's hands, making both of them enter deeper into the darkness of the sewers.

*

When the machine gun fire stopped, Berserker's roar filled the damaged church. Berserker was holding a big and darkened machine gun. It looked around the ruined church as if searching for prey.

Merlin hoped that his hastily put-together illusion was working. He had barely managed to jump to the ceiling and was now hanging from a wooden plank while maintaining his illusion.

Luckily, Berserker wasn't smart enough to figure that out. He roared once more before leaving the church. Merlin waited for a moment, confirming that Berserker had truly left, before jumping down.

"Are you alright?" he asked, rushing towards Risei, but one look was enough to confirm that there was no saving him. Berserker's magically-enhanced bullets ripped through his body. Even if Merlin used his magic, there were simply too many wounds. Risei would bleed to death before Merlin closed even half of them.

However, somehow Risei was still clinging to life. He looked at Caster.

"Tell Kirei… John… Four… Twenty four…" he muttered. Soon after that the light in his eyes faded, as if he'd only hung on to life to pass on the message.

"Damn," Merlin muttered. His main lead for the mystery of both Kirei and the Holy Grail ritual had just died.

This was bad. Merlin thought he was making progress.

"Einzbern's Servant from the previous war, huh?"

That was the only hint he had. However, the only one he could ask about it was _the current_ Servant of Einzberns. Merlin didn't even want to think how difficult obtaining this information would be. And worst of all— 

"I will have to report this to Tokiomi, won't I?" Merlin said with a sigh.


	5. Tea Party of Sinners

Kiritsugu cursed his luck.

With Irisviel and Maiya still needing rest, and Gilgamesh disappearing off to somewhere, Kiritsugu had to work alone. 

It was fine. He was used to working alone.

In order to confront the threat that was the combined power of Saber and Caster, they would need a power of another Servant. Rider looked like he wouldn't agree easily, so Kiritsugu decided to try and find Berserker's Master. He was the biggest unknown of this war, but that also meant he had potential to turn the situation around.

He had suspected that Berserker's Master used sewers to hide himself ever since the battle at the docks. For that reason, he had asked Assassin to place magical trackers inside the sewers so he would be able to locate him. She had been finishing placing them when the castle came under attack.

She was gone now, but Kiritsugu would use the fruits of her labour to win the Grail War. Using the information gathered by the trackers, he managed to find Berserker's Master whereabouts and just as he was about to meet him— 

"Is that Berserker's Master?" Waver asked.

"I don't think so. I don't sense a Servant near him," Iskander said.

Kiritsugu just had to run into enemies.

This was bad. Even though his Command Seals had returned, he had no Servant to call on. He was hoping that Berserker's Master would hear him out after he came with no Servant. It was a gamble, but one worth the risk.

However, at no point had Kiritsugu accounted for running into Rider and his Master in the sewers.

"Wait, so he's a passerby?" Waver asked.

"No, I don't think so. If he was uninvolved in this Grail War, he would be much more shocked seeing the two of us," Iskander pointed out.

"Oh, right, he would be more surprised," Waver realized.

"You! Who are you?" Rider demanded pointing his sword in Kiritsugu's direction.

Kiritsugu quickly considered his options, but realized there was no reason for meaningless lies.

"I'm a Servantless Master," Kiritsugu said. 

"Ehhh?" Waver was visibly surprised by that revelation, but Iskander merely nodded.

"I see. You were Assassin's master. Did you come here planning to steal Berserker?"

Kiritsugu chucked humorlessly.

"Of course not. There's no guarantee that Berserker is sane enough to reestablish a contract. Even if I found some way to take down his Master, there's no way for me to reason with him. It would be meaningless. I came hoping to enlist Berserker's Master help," Kiritsugu explained.

He could see King of Conquerors furrow his brows.

"You make a good point. However, you have already been defeated."

"I haven't asked the Church for asylum. That means I'm still part of this Grail War. I'm going to ask Berserker's Master to help me take down Saber," Kiritsugu said strongly.

He realized that he couldn't back down here. He needed the cooperation of another Servant to take down Saber and Caster. His only choices were Berserker and Rider. If Kiritsugu gave up here, not only would he lose his only chance to gain Berserker's help, but also any possibility of cooperation with Rider and his Master.

He had seen enough to know that Rider wouldn't have much respect for him if Kiritsugu easily gave up his chance to meet Berserker's Master. Even if it was dangerous, he needed to somehow convince Iskander of his value.

He needed to fight.

"Oh, so you want to take revenge on Saber," Iskander goadeds.

"It goes beyond just revenge, but I won't bore you with my reasons. The important thing is that we both want the same thing. So how about we both go to meet with Berserker's Master and give him a choice between the two of us."

"And why should I agree when I can just stop you from reaching him?" Iskander asked.

Kiritsugu made sure not to show his nervousness. "Because it gives you a better chance to get Berserker's cooperation. If either of us goes alone, his Master will be choosing between working with you or not working with you. However, if we both meet him at the same time, he isn't likely to deny us both at the same time. He will feel pressured to choose one of us."

"I see. You make a good point. It would work in our favour. However, wouldn't that mean that you will be at disadvantage?" Iskander said, pointing his finger at Kiritsugu.

"That's true," Kiritsugu said, taking a step forward. "However neither of us knows what Berserker's Master truly wants. I might have lost my Servant, but I have a strong backer. There are still things I can offer to a partnership."

Iskander nodded.

"So you want to take a bet on that slim possibility?"

"I won't feel satisfied until I have truly exhausted all the possibilities," Kiritsugu said, looking straight at Rider. "I don't want to just pat myself on the shoulder and say it couldn't have been helped while there are still things I could be doing. It's not over until then."

Iskander listened to him seriously.

"I can respect your resolve. You can go with us. Just don't try anything funny. I will have my eye on you."

Kiritsugu nodded and walked towards them. Waver gave him an anxious look and scooted away.

"Thank you," Kiritsugu said, trying to be cordial.

"No problem. Just make sure you hold no resentment whichever one of us wins," Iskander said with a grin.

Kiritsugu didn't even attempt to smile back at him. He knew he was at disadvantage and he hated it.

*

Gilgamesh sat on top of the building that was the new base of operations for Irisviel and her mongrel husband. It looked less impressive than Einzbern's castle, but the architecture was more in line with what was considered a traditional estate in Japan. Gilgamesh could respect that. After all, architecture was one of the key aspects defining a civilization. 

Then again, appreciating the architecture of his new dwelling wasn't why he'd come here. He jumped onto the wall surrounding the estate and crouched down in one fluid motion.

"Did you come for a housewarming party? I hope you brought gifts if that's the case," Gilgamesh said, as he smiled at empty air.

A second later petal flowers appeared in the air, forming the person Archer expected to meet.

"What gave it away?" Merlin asked. He was wearing the casual clothes of this era and a strained smile.

"Your loyalty to Arthur can't be described as steadfast, but it's dependable enough for me to know that you would make sure to follow one of Einzbern's servants to find my location. I'm the biggest threat to her, after all. I only needed to place some eyes around," he explained, picking up a golden eye that had been hidden under the tiles covering the wall.

The strain in Merlin's smile deepened at that remark.

"My, I do hope you will show me some leniency in the face of my terrible predictability," he muttered, visibly preparing to cast a spell to escape.

Ah, that wouldn't do.

A second later, Merlin was hanging upside down in the air, suspended by a golden chain extending from the Gate of Babylon that was wrapped around his ankle.

"Don't think you can escape Enkidu. This chain can bind even gods," Gilgamesh said proudly. Now that the chain raised him higher, Merlin was on the same eye level as him. Gilgamesh hoped that Caster appreciated the gesture.

"There isn't any weapon sticking out of me, so I gather there's something you want to ask of me," Merlin said. Gilgamesh was glad he was catching on so quickly.

"Remember how you asked me about Saber's Master at the end of my banquet?" he asked.

"Oh, you mean Kirei Kotomine. Yes, I did," Merlin confirmed quickly.

"You still want to know about him, don't you?" Gilgamesh asked, then smirked when Caster nodded. "Unfortunately for you, I was mostly speculating. I don't really have a definitive answer. Buuuut… I would be willing to help you find out the truth."

"Just so you know, Saber will never agree to letting you meet her Master," Merlin pointed out.

Gilgamesh chuckled.

"That's why I'm asking you, not her. Tell me everything you know about her Master and let me meet him and in return I will make sure to reveal his true nature to you," he promised. Merlin looked conflicted, but Gilgamesh could tell it was mostly for show. A foolish display of flawed loyalty. But that worked in his favour, with just one little push he could get what he wanted. "You want to know too, don't you? If he truly is the kind of man that should stand by Saber's side."

Merlin's face darkened for a moment. Gilgamesh wondered if Caster was even aware of the emotions displayed on his face. For someone who fed on emotions he was amusingly unaware of his own humanity.

"Tell me what you have in mind," Merlin said, his voice uncharacteristically steely. 

Gilgamesh smirked. He was about to kill two birds with one stone.

*

Berserker's Master looked terrible.

It couldn't have just been the prolonged stay in the sewers. His sunken face, his slightly unfocused gaze. There was something wrong with him. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't have enough magic to sustain Berserker, but Iskander had a feeling that there was more to it.

"Welcome fellow Masters," the man before Iskander said mockingly. "Have you come to defeat me? Don't think it will be easy!"

"Oh, no. Actually, we came hoping to get your help while fighting against Saber and Caster," Iskander said.

That seemed to get Berserker's Master's attention.

"Caster, you say?" he repeated.

"Yeah, though let's not rush this. How about you introduce yourself first?"

His name was Kariya Matou. It told Iskander nothing, but Assassin's Master seemed to recognize it. Kariya seemed to have been feeling pretty lonely, because he ended up telling them his circumstances for joining the war without much prompting.

"So you want to kill Caster's Master, Tokiomi, and save that girl, Sakura," Iskander summarized.

"Yes, those are my conditions. I was trying to win the war because it was the only way for me to achieve that goal. However, if you help me with my goals, I don't mind willingly dropping out of the war."

Iskander didn't feel like Kariya was lying. He was, in essence, a very simple man, who had been pushed too far to even have the energy for deception.

"That simplifies things," Kiritsugu said. "Just to make it clear. Me and Rider are not working together. We are both going to say what we can offer and you are free to choose the side you think is more beneficial to you."

Iskander narrowed his brows. Kiritsugu appeared far too composed for someone who came with little to offer. It seemed he had been hiding something after all. Well, it was too late to stop him by force, Iskander agreed to confront him in a battle of words and that was how he was going to settle this.

"Let me go first," Iskander said. "If you join my side, I will use all my power to rescue the girl. It doesn't matter what kind of defenses Matou residence has. With my Gordius Wheel, I can just ride straight there," he announced, making sure to sound grandiose. People like Kariya were usually weak to powerful statements like that.

"What about Caster's Master?" Kariya asked. 

Iskander made a thoughtful expression.

"If it is possible, I will let you confront him. However, if we beat Caster, I don't plan on pursuing him," Iskander admitted. The idea of hunting down a Servantless Master didn't sit well with him. Not unless there was a good reason to bring them down.

"Oy, should you tell him that, Rider?" Waver asked in a far too loud whisper at his side.

"Of course, I should. Honesty is important in these kinds of deals," he replied. Besides he wasn't about to fall into a trap of promising more than he could deliver on. It was possible that Kiritsugu set up this discussion not only to pressure Kariya, but also Rider.

If that was the case, he was a truly frightening man.

"Then it's my turn," Kiritsugu said. "While I have already lost my Servant, I've come here on the behalf of the Einzbern family. If you agree to work with us, they will help you save the girl and then make sure to provide all the medical and financial help she would need. Also, my speciality is killing mages. While Einzberns will be taking care of Sakura, I can set a trap to kill Tokiomi Tohsaka," Kiritsugu announced, his voice deathly cold. "Unlike Rider, I am willing to grant all the conditions."

Kariya's eyes shone with light.

"Really? You are really going to do it?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm willing to sign a Self-Geis Scroll, though I can only personally vouch for Tokiomi's murder. The matter of saving Sakura will be handled by Archer's Master," Kiritsugu confirmed. It was a powerful statement too, as far as Iskander knew those Scrolls were magically binding contracts.

"So you've been working with Einzberns. You are quite shrewd," Iskander said. There was no point in getting angry at being outplayed. Not to mention, it made the negotiations much more fun.

"I did say I have a strong backer, didn't I?" Kiritsugu pointed out. "This Holy Grail War hasn't ended for me yet."

"I see, it seems you have outmaneuvered us," Iskander admitted. Waver was shaking by his side. It seemed that the tense situation was getting to him. However, Rider didn't have time to calm him right now—he needed to focus on the counterattack.

"Kariya Matou!" he called, loudly. That immediately got the man's attention. He looked wide-eyed at Iskander. "Holy Grail can grant but one wish and yet you present us with two. That's greedy of you. I don't dislike that, but tell me. If you were forced to choose between them, which one would you truly want to be granted?! Answer me!"

His shout echoed through the sewer, but Iskander didn't mind. Kiritsugu might have been good at mind games, but Iskander had a strength of his own.

Gordian knot—a complicated knot said to be impossible to untangle. Iskander might have been teased for just cutting it down, but everyone agreed that this was the solution that fit him the most. His strength wasn't to find complex solutions to complex problems, but to simplify complex problems, so they could be easily solved.

And Kariya's situation was much simpler than he presented it to be. There was a wish, but there was also a baggage of negative emotions clouding that man's eyes. If Kiritsugu wasn't here, Rider probably wouldn't be so nice, but right now he needed to make a good impression on Kariya.

He would have plenty of time to scold him later.

"I…" Kariya seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Rider's charisma clearly moved him. A single tear appeared in his eye as he seemed to recall a memory. "I just wanted to save Sakura…"

"Then that is a wish I shall grant!" Iskander said, standing up. With his height he took most of the space in the narrower part of the sewer they were at right now. "If you work with me, I will go and save Sakura right now."

Kariya froze, as if unable to compute this new information.

"Right now?" Kariya repeated.

"Yeah," Iskander said, putting his hands on his hips. "Kiritsugu, here, might have talked big about helping you, but the fact is that Einzbern's Servant is that moody Archer. Sending him out just to save a child won't be easy. They will probably need a few days to even convince him."

Kiritsugu clenched his fist.

"Even if the Grail War ends during that time, the Einzberns are a powerful family. Saving one child will not be a problem," he said.

"Oh yeah? And how long will it take them?" Iskander asked. Kiritsugu remained quiet. "Say Kariya, do you want to wait? Or do you want to make sure that this girl's suffering ends tonight? What is your choice?"

Kariya was silent for a moment. And then he looked up, his remaining working eye shining with resolve.

"I want to save her right now!"

Iskander smirked. There was nothing as satisfying as conquering someone's heart.

*

When Arthur and Kirei returned to their hideout, Merlin was there.

Arthur glared at him. Her Master insisted on buying takeout for him too, but Saber still felt angry with him about their argument. Merlin had no right to dismiss her wish after he had left her with no support in her greatest hour of need.

However, she quickly realized something was off. Merlin looked guilty. It was unusual given that Arthur was sure he definitely didn't experience the feeling of shame. Something serious must have happened for him to act like that.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm bringing bad news," he said, after Saber finished placing the takeout on the table. Even his voice was serious. Merlin looked straight at her Master. "Kirei, your father is dead."

Arthur's mouth fell open. If she remembered correctly, Kirei's father was this war's supervisor. 

"What happened?" Kirei asked. His voice was eerily void of emotions, as if he had yet to truly comprehend what had happened.

"I'm afraid it's my fault. I went to the church since I wanted to ask some questions about the previous war. While we were talking, Berserker suddenly charged in. I barely managed to hide from his attacks, but Risei—"

Arthur found herself pulling Merlin by the collar before he could finish the sentence.

"You!" she hissed. How dare Merlin endanger civilians. He should have been more careful! Kirei was already in a precarious state after the banquet. Arthur could tell that the encounter with Assassin affected him badly.

If he broke down now…

It couldn't happen. Arthur needed him to win the war. Kirei might have talked about how he wasn't fit to be a Master, but Saber could tell. He had what it took to win the Holy Grail War. Much more than Tokiomi, much more than other Masters they had encountered.

She needed him to be able to realize her wish!

Someone gently pulled at her hand that was clenched on Merlin's collar.

"It's alright, Saber, please let go of him," Kirei said patiently.

Arthur was so blindsided by his calmness that she let go without thinking.

"Berserker's Master was probably surveilling the area around the church. He might have suspected that one of the contestants was working with the supervisor. Or he simply hoped to eliminate any Master that tried to hide in the church. Regardless of the reason, the fault lies on Berserker and his Master, not Merlin."

"But—"

"I know you have your grievances with him, Saber, but I'd rather you left the judgement regarding this situation to me," he insisted. It was the first time Kirei outright opposed her on something, but the way he did it made Saber feel like Kirei was truly acting like a Master for the first time.

She glared one more time at Merlin before averting her gaze.

"I will leave it to you then," she said, taking a few steps back to distance herself from Merlin. He seemed to be relieved by that.

"Thank you, Kirei. Coming back to that matter, I already made a report to Tokiomi. He arranged for some trusted people to take care of Risei's body. For now, he is being stored in the church's basement, since trying to hold a funeral in the middle of Holy Grail War would be too dangerous. Tokiomi said that if you want to go see him, you shouldn't hold back."

Kirei just stared at Merlin.

"No, I don't want to see him," Kirei said after a moment, averting his gaze.

"Ah, don't worry. Berserker used an enhanced machine gun, so Risei's body is in one piece and recognizable," Merlin assured him quickly. However, Kirei shook his head.

"Going to see him now would be too dangerous. Berserker's Master might still be waiting to ambush anyone who tries to approach church."

Arthur wondered why Kirei's sensible explanation sounded so much like an excuse to her. It was as if Kirei wanted to avoid seeing the body of his dead father at all costs.

"Oh, that's cold," Merlin said in a tone of voice that communicated total lack of care.

Arthur threw him a sharp gaze.

"It's not your place to judge how other people mourn," she hissed.

Kirei shook his head to indicate he was tired of their argument.

"I just don't want to do anything rash. I will go see my father once it's safe," he said in a tone of voice that clearly indicated that was that.

"You might die before you have a chance to do that," Merlin pointed out. This time, for once, he sounded like a proper wise man.

However, Kirei didn't seem moved by his words.

"If it happens, then that would be merely the will of God," he replied. The way he said it was odd, but it was only after Kirei closed the door to his bedroom, effectively ending the conversation, that Saber realized why she was struck by those words.

They sounded as if Kirei was in fact praying not to see his father again.

*

Kiritsugu returned to their new base of operation with a heavy sense of defeat.

He'd failed to convince Berserker's Master to help him.

It was bad. With that loss, their last hope of winning the war had disappeared. Unless, for some reason, Archer miraculously decided to contract Kiritsugu, they would surely lose.

He tightened his fist.

"Kiritsugu!"

At first, he thought it was some sort of an illusion, but a second later, Irisviel Einzbern was standing before him. She must have been waiting for him to be able to meet him before the entrance.

"You are back, dear! I was so worried when I heard that you went out alone! You should have at least taken Maiya with you."

Kiritsugu gently shook his head.

"I needed someone trustworthy to keep an eye on you. Especially, given how unreliable Archer is," Kiritsugu said. 

Irisviel lowered her gaze.

"That's not completely true. He was there when I woke up," she admitted.

"He was?" Kiritsugu repeated, feeling taken aback. Gilgamesh had never struck him as someone capable of caring.

Irisviel nodded.

"He explained to me what happened. And about the bracelet." Irisviel tightened her hand around the golden bracelet adorning her right hand before continuing. "I should be able to maintain my human form even if one more Servant dies, but after that…"

Her silence spoke more than any words she could have uttered. Kiritsugu could feel his heart clench.

"Iri…"

She shook her head. Even now she kept looking straight at him.

"We knew this would happen. That's why please, don't give up."

Kiritsugu didn't reply. He just gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We should go back. It's not safe to keep standing here for too long," he said. Some of the determination returned to his eyes.

"That's true," Irisviel said, happily.

They walked in silence to the gate, as they entered the perimeter Kiritsugu looked around.

"Gilgamesh is still around?" he asked, surprised. He could sense a Servant nearby.

"Yes, he said he was going to sleep and would kill anyone who tried to disturb him," Irisviel recounted.

Kiritsugu pinched the bridge of his nose.

"He _doesn't need_ to sleep. Why is he wasting his time like that?!" Kiritsugu complained.

"I don't know, but it seemed important to him," she said, as the two of them entered the building. "He seemed excited."

"Excited about sleeping?" Kiritsugu muttered, unable to make sense of it.

"I think you could use some sleep even more than him. Rest for today, dear," Irisviel said gently. They had arrived in the main room. Irisviel weakly pulled him, so that the two of them sat down on the pillows laying on the tatami floor. Irisviel rested her head on his shoulder—lovingly and with so much trust, it made Kiritsugu feel even more guilty. 

"No, I can't," he muttered. Coming back here was a mistake, Kiritsugu realized. He assumed Irisviel would be still unconscious, so he thought there was no harm in coming back here. 

At first talking with her helped cheer him up, but now each second of conversation made him waver more and more.

But he couldn't stop now. They were too deep in this war. At this point winning was their only option.

Kiritsugu stood up.

"Dear?" Irisviel muttered.

He was going to win this war. He walked out of the room without looking back even once.

Despite that he could perfectly picture Irisviel's quiet sadness after he had left.

*

"What do you want, Caster?" Kirei hissed, a moment after he had closed the door to his private room.

Merlin had always been a nuisance, but Kirei expected to get at least a bit of time alone after hearing of his father's death.

It was all happening too quickly for him to properly control his feelings.

He had to get a hold of himself. Pray, sleep, and focus on something else. Something other than the images of his father's dead body.

"Sorry, I realized I forgot to tell you something," Merlin said, as he manifested in the room. Kirei suspected that he had left an illusion of himself in the other room to fool Saber. 

"You didn't," Kirei said without missing a beat.

Merlin slightly lowered his gaze.

"You are right, I just didn't want to mention it unless we were alone," he admitted. Kirei found himself caught off-guard by that small show of honesty. "Your father asked me to relay his final words to you."

"I see," Kirei said. He didn't want to know them, but he had to listen. It was his duty to inherit his father's dying will.

"It was: John, Four, Twenty four," Merlin said slowly. Then he paused. "I'm guessing it's some kind of code."

Kirei immediately understood what it was and how it was supposed to be used.

"Yes, something like that," Kirei admitted.

"Unfortunately, he didn't manage to say anything more," Merlin added in a terrible attempt to be comforting.

"I would be surprised if he did. Besides I don't need to hear his words to know what my father's feelings were," Kirei pointed out.

Kirei wished for this conversation to end already. They were two most unsuited people for talking about emotions. Merlin yearned for them in an almost childish way, embracing the ones he liked and discarding the ones he didn't. All to satiate the emptiness in his heart. And Kirei…

Kirei almost wished he could fill the void in his soul in such a parasitic fashion—feeding on other people's feelings of joy. 

But that would be a much too sinful way of living.

"I see, sorry to intrude then," Merlin said. He turned around, but then stopped. Kirei looked confused at Merlin's back. Was Caster going to pretend he forgot to say something again.

"Kirei," Merlin said in a serious tone. There was a pause as if Caster was conflicted as to whether he should actually say something, but then he made a resigned sigh. "I'm sorry."

It was the first meaningfully sounding apology Kirei heard from him. He almost wanted to ask what prompted it, but Merlin immediately dematerialized leaving only the smell of fresh flowers in the room.

Kirei stood in place for a moment, before deciding to just lie down. Sleep wouldn't solve any of his problems, but it would make him stop thinking for a moment. Stop trying to imagine what his father's death was like.

What it _could_ be like.

Kirei went to sleep, desperately praying to God to not see anyone close to him in his dreams.

*

"So, this is the mansion where the wicked villain is keeping our princess?" Iskander asked for confirmation. Not that he felt like he needed it. There was something in the air that made him alert—something stale and malevolent.

Whoever ruled this mansion probably wasn't human. Not anymore.

Kariya nodded.

"Sakura is in the basement. She… she is…"

Iskander didn't prompt for the answer. He already got a gist of it when Kariya told his story earlier.

"You stay here," Iskander said, pushing Kariya off the chariot. Kariya blinked in surprise.

"B-but—"

"The more people I have to protect, the bigger chance I fail. Besides, we need some space here for the princess," Iskander pointed out. Then he smiled. "Just trust me on this. Once I save the princess, it will be your turn to help me."

Iskander didn't even wait for Kariya's words. He snapped the harness and charged forward ramming through the mansions doors. As the King of Conquerors he was about to plunder the greatest treasure from this mansion. 

*

Kirei was reminded of the story of monkey's paw, when your wish gets granted in the most cursed way possible.

Kirei didn't dream of his wife or father this time. He didn't because someone else had invaded his dreams, altering them into the most abominable tea party Kirei had ever taken part in.

The table they were sitting by was round, decorated with a lavish red and gold tablecloth. There were nice porcelain cups before each of the three men sitting at the table. Caster was pouring himself a cup of tea, while humming.

Archer took one look at his teapot before throwing it away together with the saucer. The porcelain seemed to disappear somewhere within the dreamscape. Gilgamesh nodded to himself and a second later three glasses appeared alongside a bottle of wine.

"Could you please not impose your will on someone else's dream?" Merlin asked with a sigh.

"Oh, come on. I'm the one who called for this party. There's no point in abstinence," Gilgamesh said, happily uncorking the bottle.

"I can't get drunk anyway. I don't consume human food you know," Merlin pointed out in a tone of voice that clearly suggested that Gilgamesh should have been aware of that fact.

Archer laughed. Kirei was surprised to see him take Caster's thinly-veiled insults so lightly.

"It was a good choice to hold another party. You've been so dull with Saber around," he said, pushing a filled glass towards Merlin. Caster just glared at him, obviously unhappy that his words had been completely ignored.

Kirei was starting to wonder if he didn't get here by mistake, but at that moment, Archer pushed the second glass of wine towards him.

"You are probably pondering as to why you have been brought to this gathering," Gilgamesh said, seeing right through him. Kirei said nothing, but that didn't deter Archer from providing him with an answer. "That's because I found you interesting! So I asked Merin here to help me arrange a meeting!"

"Me? Interesting?" Kirei repeated because somehow despite being brought into a dreamworld to meet the oldest hero of humanity, _this_ had to be the weirdest aspect of this whole situation.

"So you consider yourself a boring person? Well, it's not unusual for people to miss that sort of thing. They probably only see what they want to see in you and write off everything that doesn't fit their preconceived notions," Gilgamesh said, while he laughed.

Kirei found himself unsure how to react. This was the first time someone had realized that. Kirei had to reevaluate his initial impression of Gilgamesh—he was extremely observant for someone so self-centered. And sharp. In just a short moment, he managed to make a lot of conjectures that ended up matching reality.

"You should stop talking over your guests. That's a bad habit of yours," Merlin said from the other side of the table. He was drinking the tea while pointedly ignoring the wineglass next to him.

"Oh, I don't think he was offended by that. Isn't that right, Kirei?" 

Kirei snapped his head at the unexpected overfamiliarity. It felt like everything was going far too fast. Like this strange tea party was a fever dream.

"I wasn't offended," he confirmed, realizing it was the truth. Maybe he would be more bothered if this took place in reality, but there was a tangible feeling of disconnect that made Kirei feel light-headed.

He looked up and realized that the glass before him was empty even though he hadn't reached for it at any point. He blinked to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving it, but then realized the pointlessness of relaying on sight in a dreamscape.

"See, you should relax Merlin. You might have brought him here forcibly, but I don't think Kirei is having a bad time," Gilgamesh said, as he poured more wine into Kirei's glass. "You should relax."

"He's probably worried that I will tell Saber about this once I wake up," Kirei said without thinking. "If she learned about this, she would probably use her Noble Phantasm to crush him."

"Yes, I can totally imagine that!" Archer laughed. Kirei wasn't used to someone finding what he said funny. He looked at Merlin to find him looking as if he was deeply regretting helping Gilgamesh organize this tea party.

This pulled Kirei out of his daze. He looked between the two Servants.

"So why was I brought here?" he asked. Archer said he found him interesting, but that wasn't a reason in itself. There had to be something more to it.

"Where's fun in that?" Gilgamesh asked with a smirk, while he swirled the wine in his glass. Then he pointed it in Kirei's direction. "You tell me why you think I called you here!"

Kirei sank into his thoughts. He was pretty sure he had enough hints to figure out the answer. As he raised his head, he realized his teacup was empty. Merlin raised from his seat to pour more tea from a kettle that Kirei was sure wasn't there a minute later.

"You are contracted to a Lesser Grail. It stands to reason that once Irisviel Einzbern transforms into her Grail form, the contract between you two will be broken. Einzberns' plan was probably to have you contract the mercenary they hired, Kiritsugu Emiya," Kirei paused to make sure his next words made sense before continuing. "However, it's not in your character to go along with choices made by others. That's why you invited me and Rider's Master to the banquet along with the Servants. True, it would be difficult to gather Servants without the Masters, but you even provided us with wine. You actually paid attention to us, Archer. And it was because you were looking for a new Master to sustain you until the end of the war and _this_ ," Kirei said, spreading his arms. "This is an interview."

"Oh, what an interesting theory," Gilgamesh said before taking a sip of his wine. "By the way, I won't be telling you if you are right or not. It's more fun that way."

Kirei didn't feel like he needed a confirmation. This tea party was a confirmation in and of itself.

"Just so you know, I don't plan to break my contract with Saber," Kirei said. He found it surprising that he felt such a strong need to communicate that fact. It shouldn't have mattered what Archer's delusions were and yet…

"Oh, you don't need to worry. I don't plan to get in her way. If anything I hope she obtains the Grail," Archer assured him.

Kirei blinked.

"I thought you considered the Grail your property and didn't plan to share it with anyone," he said, remembering what Archer said during the banquet.

Gilgamesh stared at him for a second before laughing.

"Ah, that's right I forgot. You were unconscious at the end of the banquet so you didn't hear what I said then," he recounted, as if Kirei's near death experience was an amusing misadventure. "You are misunderstanding, Kirei. It's not that I don't want to give Grail to anyone. There's just no point in sharing it with someone who I don't consider worthy of it. Well, giving it might be a bad word. Saber would probably hate it if I just gifted her the item she covets so much. That's why I plan to be the final obstacle on her path and make her swear to become my woman in exchange for Grail."

Kirei thought that this was an even more sure-fire way of making Saber hate him, but he didn't see the point of expressing that thought. Archer was clearly too caught up in his daydreams to listen to reason.

Merlin made eye contact with Kirei, clearly expressing his disdain for Gilgamesh. Kirei thought that Merlin really didn't have enough moral high ground to judge Gilgamesh about the way he treated women.

"Even then, I wouldn't have enough magic to sustain two Servants at once," Kirei pointed out. Technically it should have been possible to form a contract with two Servants at once, but it wouldn't be possible in practice due to high mana consumption it would entail.

Gilgamesh sighed.

"Your speculations are starting to get stale," he decided. "Merlin, you pick a new topic."

"So you do remember that I'm still here," Merlin muttered from above his tea.

"Yes, Mage of Wallflowers. Topic."

Merlin grumbled something, but then put his teacup back on the saucer.

"I've been meaning to ask, Kirei, but why are you taking part in this war?" Merlin said. Kirei could tell he had been curious about it for a while.

"I'm just paying back my debt to master Tokiomi," Kirei said. "And helping bring an end to this ritual."

"There is no debt and you couldn't care less about the ritual," Merlin said, his voice completely blank. "There's no loyalty or righteous drive to your actions."

Kirei was silent for a moment. He didn't really enjoy Merlin's unsubtle probing. There was no reason to go along with his leading questions.

"Then perhaps there is no reason for my actions," Kirei said with a shrug. "If you believe that my reasons are nothing more than excuses, then feel free to project some reasons of your own."

Merlin's expression didn't change, but Kirei could tell he had struck a nerve. Archer chuckled.

"You seem to be forgetting, Kirei, but excuses are a symptom of a guilty mind. If you need to engineer fake reasons as to why you are taking part in this war, then it's not a sign of lack of purpose, but a manifestation of shame," Archer explained patiently, like a snake slowly coiling around its prey.

"That's right," Merlin said, hitting the table with his hand. Archer's words seemed to have emboldened him. "You are hiding something!"

"Hiding?" Kirei repeated, confused. He looked between Merlin and Gilgamesh, but the latter seemed to be content just spectating for now, and the former was staring at him expectantly.

This was becoming troublesome. Why did the two Servants try so hard to make him the focus of this tea party?

"Hiding something isn't a sin in and of itself. I have no obligation to share everything about myself with other people. It's only when you obscure the truth for malicious reasons that it becomes a sin," Kirei said.

Merlin looked frustrated, while Archer made an amused expression.

"The truth you are hiding might hurt Arthur," Merlin insisted. His voice was raw and he stared at Kirei in challenge.

"People can always hurt each other with words. But even if that happens, then they can repent and seek forgiveness," Kirei countered. "And unlike you I'm willing to do so."

Merlin seemed to deflate at that. Archer was now outright laughing.

"He really got you there, Merlin! Not that you didn't bring it upon yourself accusing someone of something you haven't made up for yourself! Hahahahahahaha!"

Merlin clenched his fist.

"It's not similar," Merlin insisted.

"Is it?" Archer asked. However, he didn't even wait for Merlin's answer before turning to Kirei. "I think it's boring that Merlin just keeps talking about you. So, Kirei, how about you give your honest impression of him in response. I'm curious."

Kirei blinked, surprised at that shift in flow of conversation. Merlin seemed to be outraged, but Gilgamesh raised his hand, threatening him to stay silent.

Should Kirei truly share his honest opinion? It would be bad for their team's teamwork, but some part of Kirei couldn't help feeling vindictive about Merlin's demands. Kirei had been trying to control himself so much, and yet Merlin was acting as if understood everything. He didn't. If he truly understood Kirei, he would— 

Kirei looked at the empty glass of wine before him as he made his decision.

"I think Merlin is a hypocrite," Kirei said. The words slipped easily from his lips, despite his initial hesitation. "He keeps pretending to be righteous without ever addressing his own mistakes. Even though he abandoned Saber, he has been acting as her ally."

Merlin opened his mouth, but no words came out. He lowered his gaze.

"You want to say that you haven't abandoned her willingly? Have you really? You walked into a trap, because you refused to acknowledge your own guilt. _Only those without sin may pass._ " Merlin flinched upon hearing those words. "Monsters like incubi are sinful existences from the moment they are born into this world. You denied your own sinful roots, trusting in your own pride. There was never a chance that you could have passed through that door unharmed. Because you are sinner, you have been from the moment you were born into this world."

Merlin remained quiet, but Kirei could read his unease. He pressed on.

"Also, I find it amusing that you are accusing me of planning to harm Saber, when you are the one who wants to sabotage her wish on Grail," Kirei pointed out. This time Merlin reacted, his gaze once more moving to Kirei.

"How—?"

"I might have been unconscious while you argued, but it was obvious it had happened from the tense atmosphere between the two of you. After all, you were the one who prepared the Sword of Selection. You were the one who made Saber a king. And you won't accept anyone else. Even if it resulted in tragedy and downfall of Britain, she is the only king you will ever acknowledge. You refuse to accept her wish for a world where someone else will be chosen."

Kirei chuckled to himself, as a thought struck him.

"It's ironic, isn't it? You were trying to help her to make up for failing to support her while she was a king, but now you might have to betray her again. You dread the day when you will have to disappoint her again because then you won't be able to fool yourself any longer—you will be forced to accept that you are a sinner. And that you were never fit to stand by her side."

Kirei realized he was out of breath. He didn't remember the last time he had talked for so long.

Archer clapped. "He really got you there, Merlin."

Merlin said nothing at first, but then he looked straight at Kirei.

"I was right. You are a threat, Kirei," Caster said. His silhouette distorted before disappearing as countless petals took his place. Kirei watched as they fell to the ground. 

"A threat?" he repeated.

Gilgamesh snapped his fingers. Kirei looked in his direction and saw that Gilgamesh was holding a mirror. However, he couldn't recognize the person he saw in it.

The person in the mirror was smiling. A wide grin split their face, reaching the brown eyes and filling them with an unmistakable spark of joy.

Kirei had never seen himself smile. Seeing his reflection felt foreign and _wrong_.

"Consider this a present. Merlin mentioned that you seemed to be lost as to what your purpose in this war was, and I agree that it is just an excuse. It's not that you don't know, you are simply refusing to acknowledge it. But if you stay like this, you won't be able to win the war. So make sure to figure it out before your time runs out."

After saying those words Archer disappeared in a golden glimmer. The mirror he had been holding fell down and shattered on the ground. The loud noise it caused was almost painful.

Kirei opened his eyes. He was breathing heavily as he pushed himself up.

Almost immediately he was hit with nausea. He pushed himself to the side of the bed and vomited on the floor. He was glad he ended up going to sleep without eating anything because it wasn't long before he emptied his stomach. 

It was as if everything that happened in the dream caught up to him at once. The feeling of disgust and shame wouldn't go away now that Kirei was thinking straight. It was as if he was drunk during the dream—acting more on his urges rather than intellect.

The image of Merlin trying to hide his hurt, flashed through Kirei's mind, as he remembered more and more about what happened in his dream. Because Kirei was still holding his mouth with his hand, hoping to stop himself from vomiting again, he could feel the muscles of his face move.

He was smirking. Just remembering how he told all the painful truths to Merlin made Kirei smirk.

 _"It's not that you don't know, you are simply refusing to acknowledge it."_ Gilgamesh's words rang in his ears, as Kirei realized it was the end.

He couldn't deny it any longer. Even if he tried to, the truth would just catch up with him soon, so rather than that…

 _"But if you stay like this you won't be able to win the war. So make sure to figure it out before your time runs out."_

Archer was annoying, but he had a point. Kirei wouldn't be able to win as he was right now.

"That's right, I need to use this chance," Kirei muttered to himself, raising from the bed. It was still late outside, but it didn't matter. Even if his decision came late, Kirei would do it. 

He opened his mouth, but hesitated for a second. He closed it and frowned. He took a deep breath.

"I will win this Holy Grail War," he announced. There was no one to hear him, but it was fine. Kirei was doing this for himself, after all. He clenched his fist as he said, "I will win this Grail War and have my wish granted!"


	6. Paradise of Betrayal

Kariya was anxious as he waited for Rider to return.

The Matou residence was protected by a magical boundary. No matter how much destruction Rider caused it probably wouldn't be visible from the outside. Unless, he actually set the whole building on fire, then probably even the magical field wouldn't be able to conceal that.

Soon after he thought that, the mansion started to burn.

Kariya blinked to make sure he hadn't imagined it.

Not a minute later, a loud sound of chariot preceded Iskander's arrival.

"Wow, that was slightly more tricky that I thought," Rider admitted.

"Bugs... so many bugs…" Waver repeated in monotone. Seeing the basement of Matou mansion must have been a pretty shocking experience for him.

"Did you find her?" Kariya asked.

"Yeah, I even brought another brat," Iskander said happily.

"Another?"

As if to reply to his words, Iskander reached down and then pulled up two children.

"Sakura… and Shinji?" Kariya muttered in confusion.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Shinji cried, visibly terrified. Sakura was quiet, as if unsure how she should react.

"Yeah, I took a wrong turn at first and found that brat first and I figured it wasn't a good place for any child to stay with, so hey, I saved your nephew as a bonus," Iskander explained, putting the two kids down.

Kariya almost wanted to tell him not to bother with Shinji, but realized Iskander had a point.

Just because Kariya gave up on his family, didn't mean that Shinji deserved to be raised in that terrible household. Kariya disliked his brother, but it was no reason to condemn his child.

"Thank you, you fulfilled your part of the deal. Now it's time for me to make good on my promise," Kariya said.

Iskander grinned, extending his hand.

"Nice to work with you! Time to win this Holy Grail War!"

*

Gilgamesh breathed in the polluted air, while he stood at the top of a skyscraper. It was terrible, just as this age seemed to be. He honestly expected better of mankind.

Fortunately, they were at least still able to somehow kill his boredom.

"That's one sour expression, Merlin," he noted, happily. "Was the tea party not to your liking?"

"If I had known what you were planning, I would have never agreed to it," Merlin said.

Gilgamesh smirked, hearing that.

"I don't see why you are so unhappy. I promised I would make it clear just what kind of person Kirei Kotomine is and I think I did my job splendidly in such a short time," he pointed out. "If you want to seek the truth, you should be prepared for it."

"You goaded him," Merlin said accusingly.

"Yes, if he stayed in denial, he wouldn't be able to win the war. And then I wouldn't be able to confront Saber in a final battle of this war. Wouldn't that be a shame? Besides, you were the one who manipulated the dreamscape to make him act more in line with his actual nature."

Merlin said nothing. Gilgamesh smiled to himself. It was entertaining to lead Mage of Flowers by the nose. 

"Well, it seems all the pieces are moving now, so I need to be going. Everyone will soon flock to Irisviel, trying to obtain the Lesser Grail," Gilgamesh said, standing up. Merlin looked in the same direction as him, probably also noticing Kirei and Saber walking down the street.

"Before that, hand over what you promised," Merlin said, his voice completely devoid of his usual cheeriness.

Gilgamesh reached into the Gate of Babylon, pulling out a book, before flinging it toward Merlin.

"As promised, the records of the last Grail War, which I took from Einzbern's library. I hope they were worth betraying your king."

Gilgamesh laughed as he dematerialized, not even bothering to look to see if Merlin caught the book.

The final part of this Holy Grail War was about to begin.

*

Arthur wasn't sure what was happening.

Her Master emerged from his room looking sick. She asked him what happened, but he only shook his head.

"We need to go." It was all that he had said. So Saber followed him outside.

It was the first time her Master acted in such indiscernible fashion. Until now, Saber could understand his actions quite well even if she couldn't grasp her Master's feelings.

This could only mean one thing. Right now rather than relying on logic, her Master was acting on his feelings. She wondered if she should stop him, however she realized she couldn't bring herself to do so. More than anything she wanted to trust her Master. 

She wanted to trust that he would be able to lead her to victory.

Saber blinked once she realized where they were headed.

"The church? What about Berserker?" she asked.

"If he attacks us, you will have to defeat him. As long as you stay close to me, I won't die," Kirei pointed out emotionlessly. It was hard to argue with that assessment. Still, Saber couldn't stay quiet.

"I thought you weren't going to see your father," she said. Her voice wasn't accusatory. It was a simple statement of that fact.

Kirei was quiet for a moment.

"He left something for me that will guarantee our victory," he finally admitted. "However, I know that once I see him I won't be able to turn back. So I didn't want to come here."

Kirei opened the door with a creak. The hinges seemed to have been damaged when Berserker charged in. The rest of the church was in even worse shape. The magically-enhanced bullets damaged most of the interior leaving a mess.

Kirei crossed himself before moving deeper into the church. Saber followed him in silence.

The basement of the church was cold and even more quiet than the rest of the building. There was a single coffin placed in the back of the room. Kirei slowly walked towards it. Saber decided to stay by the door, wanting to give her Master some privacy.

The coffin was placed on a table. However, it wasn't a very high table, so once he reached it, Kirei kneeled before it.

And then he started crying. 

His sobs were so sudden that Arthur felt slightly taken aback. She expected her Master to shed some tears over the corpse of his father, but this felt different. Was this really grief? Or was this—?

"Saber, do you know why I'm crying?" Kirei asked. His voice sounded even heavier than usual. Arthur didn't answer. She understood. Her Master wasn't actually asking her. No, this— 

"I… When I look at his body I feel deep regret. I felt the same thing when my wife died. When I watched her die, I could only think of one thing." Kirei paused, then he slowly turned his head towards Saber. There were still tears in his eyes, but his mouth was twisted in a smile. "I wanted to be the one to kill her."

—this was a confession.

"I buried that feeling deep down. I refused to accept it, but it's been gnawing at me," Kirei turned his head back to look at his father's corpse. "Nothing had ever brought me joy. No matter what I dedicated myself to—faith, work, love… nothing brought happiness to me. But those thoughts… those sinful thoughts…"

Kirei's voice trailed off, as if the very thought of commiting murder brought him indescribable joy.

"Are you going to give in to them?" Saber asked. As horrifying as this revelation was Arthur was not about to act rashly.

Rather than keep it secret, her Master trusted her and revealed his ugly side to her. That's why Saber would answer that sincerity. She would see through this to the very end.

Kirei was silent for a moment.

"I won't be able to hold myself back for much longer," he admitted. His voice was more level now. "But I should be able to hold back until the end of this war. And that will be enough. Now that I admitted my true nature to myself, I found my wish, Saber."

Kirei raised from his knees and turned around to face Arthur.

" _If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off,  
and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable  
for you that one of your members should perish, than  
for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna._"

"But it's not just your hand," Saber said, trying to understand where Kirei was going with this quote.

"Yes, but a similar principle applies here. The sinful parts should be cut off. And if the whole is rotten then you should get rid of it all. Which is why I will use Grail's power to erase Kirei Kotomine and have someone else take my place. Someone who will be able to make his parents proud, someone who will be able to love his wife…" He paused for a moment, before he continued, his voice bitter. "Someone who isn't me."

Saber listened to his declaration, considering everything she had heard.

Her Master was beyond doubt evil. If what he told her was true, his very nature was rotten. However, that malevolent person still reached for the light. But no matter how much he tried to find that innocent happiness, he would never reach it. In a way, her Master was a pitiful person.

But maybe that was exactly why Saber wasn't afraid of him, even now. Both of them failed to live up to their ideals, and now they were trying to set things right. For the sake of other people's happiness, they would sacrifice themselves.

"I accept your wish, Master. I will become the sword that will guide you to the victory," Arthur announced. "And were you to abandon the path of righteousness before we win, I will make sure to slay you myself."

Kirei smiled at her. It wasn't the twisted grin he showed her earlier. No, it was a kinder smile, one that carried a feeling of immense relief.

"Thank you, Saber. I will make sure we win before that."

Kirei once more kneeled before his father's corpse. Saber watched as he recited a sentence. A second later Kirei's forearm shined. When he pulled the sleeve up, Saber realized Kirei now owned all of the supervisor's Command Seals in addition to his own.

"With these, we should have no problem winning even against Archer," Kirei said, once more hiding the seals under the sleeve.

Saber felt slightly bitter at the thought that they would have unfair advantage, but she swallowed those feelings. Her Master was doing his best to assure her victory. Besides, it was Berserker's fault that her Master's father was dead.

As they walked out of the church, they saw Merlin waiting outside. Kirei was silent for a moment before asking.

"Were you eavesdropping?" he asked.

Merlin nodded. Arthur almost expected Kirei to get angry, but he didn't. He resumed walking forward.

"That saves me explaining. You know where Einzberns' base is, right? Lead the way." Merlin didn't protest, as he began to guide them. Kirei narrowed his eyes as their group moved under the graying sky. The dawn wasn't very far off. "We are going to steal the Lesser Grail."

*

"So this is Einzbern's base, huh?" Iskander muttered as they observed it from a distance.

"Yes, some of the bugs that I used for scouting noticed Archer's Servant being transported into that house," Kariya explained. He was holding the two kids Iskander had rescued from the mansion. Shinji had calmed down after his tantrum and was just staring emptily into the distance together with Sakura.

"Are we going to attack?" Waver asked.

"Hmmmm, I'm not sure," Iskander muttered. "That Goldie could give us some trouble. I'm not sure if it would be better to first take out Saber and Caster or him.

"We should start with Saber and Caster first," Kariya said strongly. "This time I will—"

Iskander slapped Kariya on the back.

"Oy, oy, don't get ahead of yourself. Nothing good comes from letting your grudges cloud your judgement," Rider chided him.

Kariya hissed, doubling over from the slap.

"Are you saying we should wait then?" Waver asked. "I'm not sure time works to our advantage. There's no nice way of saying it, but Kariya won't last long if he stays contracted with Berserker."

The two kids looked at their uncle with worry.

"Don't worry about me. If the strain is too much, I will sever the contract. I can't leave those children alone," Kariya said.

Iskander nodded.

"You make a valid point. It would be easier if we knew where Saber's base is, but we can't have everything so…"

"Is something wrong?" Waver asked, as Iskander suddenly trailed off.

"They are here," Rider said, his voice serious. He pointed in the direction of Einzberns' base. "Saber and her Master are making a move."

*

Irisviel was lying in the middle of a magical circle in the shed when she sensed the disturbance.

As she rose up from the floor, she saw Maiya, who had been guarding her, point her gun in the direction of the entrance.

For a moment, there was silence. And then the door was kicked open.

Maiya started shooting, but the bullets seemed to ricochet in the darkness of the shed. She stopped, waiting for dust to settle, to reassess the situation.

That was a mistake. A second later, there was a sickening sound of flesh being pierced. Maiya hissed in pain and then Irisviel heard a sound of the body hitting the floor.

"No…" she muttered. She had to do something. Call for help. "Archer…!"

However, before she could finish activating her Command Seal an unnatural sleepiness overtook her. She blinked, realizing that Caster was aiming his staff at her.

She tried to counter his spell, but her magical power wasn't enough. Her eyes closed against her will as she fell into the darkness.

*

"We need to move out! Archer will be here any second!" Saber shouted. Kirei nodded. Good thing Irisviel was in the shed. Merlin left a small opening in the barrier surrounding the house while he was scouting, which allowed them to infiltrate the perimeter without triggering the alarms. The opening was right next to the shed which allowed them to quickly secure Irisviel. 

However, now that they caused a commotion, Archer would soon realize that someone was taking his Master. They needed to move away from here to a place that would serve better as a battlefield. The narrow streets of this part of Fuyuki were terribly unsuited for firing Noble Phantasms.

Kirei took Irisviel, letting her hang over his shoulder. Saber held her hands out, letting Kirei use them as a platform so he could jump over the wall. The second all of them landed on the other side of the wall, they heard shouts coming out of the mansion.

"We need to move!" Caster said, but his words were unnecessary. Saber and Kirei were already running toward the car, they'd planned to use to escape. If they had parked it any closer to the mansion, someone could have noticed it, which was why they'd opted to park it a short distance away.

They were only a hundred meters away from it when they were forced to stop, as a number of weapons were shot straight into the road before them.

"Where do you think you are going?" Gilgamesh asked, his voice threatening, as he landed next to the weapons. It seemed he had jumped between the rooftops of nearby buildings to catch up to them.

"Saber!" Kirei hissed, realizing they would have to fight. It was bad; this narrow street wasn't a place where Saber could use the full extent of her power. Kirei glanced at Merlin, but he just shook his head. Caster mentioned earlier that Gilgamesh most probably possessed something capable of protecting him from illusions amidst his treasures. Merlin would be useless in this fight.

"I didn't expect you to try and abduct someone's Master, Saber. What happened to your code of honor?" Gilgamesh asked, mockingly.

Saber clenched her hand. She averted her eyes for a second, but then she looked at Archer once more. Her eyes shone with determination.

"The only Servant who believed in the rules of chivalry is dead… Lancer was satisfied when he died, but at the same time he failed to protect his Master. When I thought about that… I realized I couldn't make the same choice." Saber summoned her sword, pointing it at Gilgamesh. "I will hold to my sense of justice, but just for the sake of this war, I shall give up on my chivalry. I came here to win this war. We aren't going to hurt your Master, Archer. We are merely securing her since she is the Grail. I still plan to defeat you in a straightforward battle."

"You talk big, but I guess I don't dislike your attitude. Though I definitely feel like your Master has been a bad influence on you. Are you sure you are fine with his plan? Your knights would cry if they saw you like this."

Saber gritted her teeth.

"Don't let him provoke him," Kirei hissed to her. It would be all over if she lost her temper. They needed to confront Archer in a controlled battlefield. Right now what they needed was— 

"Oy, don't think you can have fun without us!" Rider shouted, as his chariot moved toward them at high speed through the empty streets. The red sun that had just begun dawning illuminated him. The light made Iskander appear even more grandiose than usual.

"AAAAARGGHHHHHHHHHTTTTTT!" Next to him was Berserker, who was holding on to the side of the chariot with one hand while he was holding a blackened manhole cover in the other.

—a distraction just like this one. 

Berserker aimed and then threw the round manhole straight towards Saber. She barely managed to dodge the attack. Archer clicked his tongue, visibly unhappy at the interruption.

"Caster?" Kirei hissed. Merlin said he wasn't able to catch Gilgamesh in an illusion, but there were now two other Servants that had no such restrictions.

"On it!" Caster said, as he waved his staff. "Saber, give me some dust cover!"

Saber immediately used her Invisible Air to dig into the asphalt that had already been damaged by Archer's weapons. The road split and a mix of debris and dust flew into the air.

A second later, the dust in the air was joined by thousands of flower petals.

*

The magically-enchanted blood-red gem in golden casing that Gilgamesh wore as an earring made a loud ping as it dispelled the illusion cast by Merlin.

"He didn't even try," Gilgamesh muttered. The illusion cast on him was offendingly half-assed. Merlin must have known it wouldn't work, so he only made a token effort.

Gilgamesh raised his hand, aiming several of his weapons at the group escaping with Irisviel. He didn't want to attack them directly, but destroying the line of cars they were aiming for should slow them down and then—

However, before Gilgamesh could fire his weapons something flew straight at him. Gilgamesh jumped up, barely avoiding the round object. It circled around Archer and flew back to the hand of its wielder. Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes as he looked at Berserker catching the blackened manhole cover.

"You dare to interrupt my pursuit, you mad dog," he hissed.

Berserker didn't even wait, throwing the manhole cover again, straight at Gilgamesh. This time, Archer used his weapons to counter the attack.

Red flashed through the black knight's visor as a shout reverberated through the area.

"AAAAARRRRRTTTTTTHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!"

Gilgamesh clicked his tongue, finally realizing what had happened.

"That damn, Merlin! He knew his magic wouldn't work on me, so he made you think I'm Saber to impede me." 

Berserker roared once more before picking up a trash can and throwing it at Gilgamesh.

Archer felt his patience thinning considerably, as he used one of weapons to redirect the blackened trash can together with its contents away from himself.

"I'll kill you quickly and then get Irisviel back, you damn mongrel!"

*

Waver watched as Iskander used his sword to parry Saber's attack. She had charged straight at him upon realizing that he might be able to run over her Master.

Rider created an electric discharge, but Saber must have instinctively picked up on his attack, because she jumped back, barely avoiding the attack. Waver could feel the tingle of electricity going through him.

Saber was already back, executing several quick slashes that Rider barely managed to block. Waver could see intense focus on his face.

Another electric discharge made her back away once more. Waver used that opportunity to check what was happening with Caster, Archer and Gilgamesh. Caster seemed to be desperately protecting Kirei, who was still carrying Archer's Master, while Archer and Berserker seemed to struggle with deciding whether they should be attacking Caster or each other.

Iskander made a dissatisfied noise.

"Rider?" Waver asked, unsure what caused it.

"I think we are being tricked. Hold on tight, I think I have an idea," he replied.

Waver wanted to ask what the hell his Servant was talking about, but before he could he felt a huge surge of magical energy and suddenly the chariot was in the middle of the desert. However, before Waver could even comprehend the sudden change of scenery, they were back on the streets of Fuyuki at the break of dawn.

To Waver's surprise not everything was the same. Saber was nowhere to be seen, while Gilgamesh and Berserker were fighting on the rooftop several buildings away. Waver blinked, trying to locate Saber and realized a car containing two Servants had just driven off.

"What happened?" he asked in confusion.

"Caster's parlor tricks. I activated my Noble Phantasm for a moment to remove the illusion. I'm glad it worked. Since Archer seems to be busy it's up to us to catch him," Iskander explained, as he pulled on the harness. "They have another thing coming if they think they can outclass a Rider."

*

"Uncle, are you alright?" Shinji asked, as Kariya vomited on the floor of the sewer they were hiding in. Sakura was standing to the side, looking at him blankly.

The strain was too much. If Berserker took any more mana, Kariya would die. He had to break the contract between them.

Still, he had promised to help Rider as much as possible. It wouldn't do to just give up without achieving anything. Sure, they were supposed to take out Saber, but Kariya doubted it would be a problem if he weakened Archer instead.

Kariya moved his head and caught a glimpse of Command Seals on his hand.

That's right. He still had one more trump card to play.

"Win, Berserker! Win! And break the contract with me!" Kariya shouted, as he used up all his Command Seals in short succession.

A second later, he felt as if a big burden was taken off his shoulders. The pervasive feeling of being sucked out of energy was gone.

Kariya was finally free. 

"Uncle Kariya!" Shinji shouted once more. Even Sakura was now staring at him. Her face was still expressionless, but Kariya had a feeling some part of her was concerned.

"It's alright. I will be okay, now," Kariya reassured them, as he pushed himself to get up.

"You don't look okay. You look half-dead," Shinji pointed out, lowering his head. Kariya understood he wasn't trying to be cruel. Those two kids were probably scared of what would happen to them if Kariya died. Neither of them wanted to return to that household.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," he said, gently petting Shinji's head. "But it's going to be alright now. I got rid of the demon tormenting me."

"Is it really going to be alright?"

Kariya nodded. He considered what to do next. He knew that the responsible thing would be taking the kids to safety and finding a place for them to stay. However, Kariya realized that his heart still wasn't completely free. Even though he was no longer a participant, he couldn't just turn his back on the Holy Grail War.

More than anything he wanted to see it to the end—the contest he had so foolishly entered. Even if he wouldn't win, he knew he would regret not seeing who had won.

He smiled to himself. It should be fine to indulge that last bit of selfishness as long as he stayed away from the fights. After this was over, he would dedicate everything to those two kids.

"Let's go!" he said. He still had control over a few bugs he got from Zouken that let him view what was happening outside. He had a general idea in which direction Saber and Caster went, he would figure it out from there. "We will go and see the end to the magical war."

*

Saber stepped on the gas, as she raced down the empty streets of Fuyuki. There were only a handful of cars this early in the evening and she easily overtook them.

"Take a right!" Kirei instructed. He was sitting in the passenger seat next to her, holding a map. Merlin and an unconscious Irisviel were sitting in the back. "Are we being pursued, Caster?"

"I don't think so. Gilgamesh was still preoccupied with Berserker when we were leaving, and Rider shouldn't have any resistance to my illusions, so we should be go—"

"I don't like that silence, Merlin," Saber said, harshly. Kirei shared her sentiment.

"Well, so I don't know _how_ , but Rider found a way to escape my illusion and is pursuing us," Merlin admitted, staring through the back window.

Saber made a very disappointed sigh.

"Don't sound so disillusioned! I really did my best!" Merlin protested. 

"Then put even more effort into making sure he doesn't catch up with us!" Saber shouted, as she made a sharp turn. "I can't fight him in the middle of the city!"

"I made sure to evacuate the area close to the bridge and the City Hall using my church authority, so if we can reach the east part of the city, Saber should be able to utilize her Noble Phantasm without harming anyone uninvolved in war," Kirei explained. It wasn't, of course, as perfect as it sounded. There were many apartment complexes near the City Hall, so even if the ones nearest to it were emptied, there would still be a lot of people who could be caught in the crossfire. However, Kirei did his best to work in the limited amount of time and with the Church influence he had.

Of course, Kirei could have chosen the church which was also built on a leyline. However, it was a much worse defensive point especially after Berserker tore through most of its defences with his magically-enhanced machine gun. As for other magical spots which they could use to summon the Grail, the temple was too close to Einzbern's base and Tohsaka's manor would come with its own set of troubles.

"You did a lot of work while I was getting a car, huh," Merlin muttered.

"Wait, is this car stolen?" Saber asked, sounding as if she was about to kick Merlin out of the said car.

"Don't worry, Saber. I recognize it, it's Tokiomi's," Kirei said, sounding deeply unconcerned. "And I think he will be much more upset about my betrayal rather than the car. Also turn left at the next crossing. We should be able to reach the bridge quicker."

"Well, you do have a point," Saber admitted, reluctantly. "How do you even plan to deal with Tokiomi?"

"We are going to win this war before he notices my betrayal," Kirei explained. "I planned to activate the special signals that the overseers use to declare the war has ended. That would make all the Servants rush towards us and then we defeat them before Tokiomi can contact us demanding to know what is going on. Tohsaka residence is a distance away from the City Hall and well, removing Tokiomi's car from the equation will slow him down even more."

"I hope this does work out," Saber said.

Kirei nodded next to her. She didn't have to look at him to know his hands were shaking slightly. To her Master the idea of killing his very own teacher must have been extremely alluring, which was why he was trying to avoid the confrontation at all cost.

Saber gripped the steering wheel tightly. They would have to win this war as quickly as possible, before Kirei could lose to his true nature.

*

Rider was starting to feel excited, as he raced down the street, chasing after Saber. She was making sharp turns, trying to escape him, but it just made Rider even more excited.

"Oy, boy, do you have any idea where they are going?" he asked. If they knew their destination, he could use a shortcut to cut through their path.

"It would make the most sense if they tried to escape to the temple on the mountain, since that's the strongest magical point in this city, but we are getting further and further away from there," Waver admitted. He narrowed his eyes for a moment as he thought. "I might be wrong, but it seems like they are heading towards east Fuyuki. That or Tohsaka estate to the south."

"Two possible locations, huh?" Iskander muttered. If that was the case, it was better to keep pursuing their car. He was pretty sure that with his riding skills, he would be able to catch up to them very soon. He had already closed almost half of the distance that separated them at first, it was only a matter of time before he caught up to them.

Suddenly, something poked out of the side window of the car they were chasing.

It was Caster's wand. However, they didn't manage to get a good look at it, because a second later it glowed and then it started to generate thousands of flower petals like some sort of floral hose.

"What is hap—?"

Waver started to ask, but fell on his butt when a stream of flower petals collided with the chariot.

"Keep your head down, kid!" Iskander said, while shielding his eyes from the petal assault. "That damn Caster is trying to slow us down."

"Will we be able to catch them?" Waver asked, trying to kick off the petals that were starting to gather inside the chariot.

"Not while he is obstructing our view like that. Unless we want to risk colliding with someone. But that also means they can't lose us. We will catch up to them as soon as they reach their destination."

*

Gilgamesh was starting to really lose his patience.

Berserker was clinging to his life with annoying tenacity, avoiding all the attacks Gilgamesh threw at him. Not that he got any hits on Archer either.

Gilgamesh didn't want to use too much of his mana on this fight. He was going to fight Saber right after dealing with Berserker, so he didn't want to waste too much energy.

However, his efforts to end the battle quickly and efficiently were starting to turn into a sunk cost fallacy.

This wouldn't do.

"I hate that I have to lower myself to taking this dog even a bit more seriously, but I have no choice," he muttered. 

He pulled a sword out of his treasure. It had been a long time since he had last fought in hand-to-hand combat, but he was confident in his skill. Berserker was a mad dog that could turn anything he touched into a weapon, so the first step was to stop providing him with more weapons he could use.

Moreover whatever cursed shape he took, Gilgamesh could tell that Berserker was a knight. And given his obsession with Saber, he was probably her contemporary. Merlin must have realized that too.

"Making me do dirty work for him. I will have to teach that half-incubus a lesson when I see him again," he muttered to himself. Then he pointed his sword at the Berserker in a clear challenge. "Come at me, mongrel! I will entertain you before your demise!"

Berserker seemed to freeze in place before roaring loudly. The mana he exuded was much stronger now.

"Command Seals, huh," Gilgamesh muttered. Berserker manifested a sword, Gilgamesh could tell it was his Noble Phantasm. He was pretty sure he had a similar sword somewhere in his treasury.

Berserker rushed forward, clashing with Gilgamesh. His dark blade glinted dangerously, but Gilgamesh didn't even blink. Still, the roof of the japanese style building didn't give him the best footing and he felt himself slip down it. Gilgamesh disengaged and jumped off the building, noticing a park nearby. 

"Follow me, you mad dog," he hissed. Berserker did just that, roaring on the way.

*

"How long until we reach the City Hall?! I'm not sure I can keep this up for much longer," Merlin complained, as his staff kept producing a ridiculous amount of flowers.

"Is that all you can do as a Caster?" Saber said, clicking her tongue.

"Unlike you, I don't have my Master next to me. I can't regain all the mana I'm using up effectively," Merlin pointed out.

He did have a point, Kirei realized. He once more looked at the map.

"Turn left at the second crossing Saber. We will change our plan. We should reach a blockade soon. The bridge was blocked off due to the bombing threat. Caster, use an illusion so we and Rider can move through it without anyone noticing. Saber, stop the car once we reach the end of the bridge. We will confront Rider on this bridge. It's big enough for you to be able to fight freely as long as you aim your Noble Phantasm towards the river. Caster, you will take Irisviel to the City Hall, while we deal with Rider."

"I've never driven a car!" Merlin admitted.

"Unless you want to princess carry her to the City Hall on foot, you'd better learn to drive," Kirei pointed out. "We are getting close. Stop the flowers and make sure to use an illusion, we don't want anyone to follow us to the bridge other than Rider."

"You really are a slave driver!" Merlin complained, as he stuck his head through the window to get a better feel of the distance. He could see a blockade and police diverting the cars away. Merlin quickly ascertained what kind of illusion would work the best in this situation. 

"Time for some magic!" Merlin shouted as the car drove straight towards the blockade.

*

The park where Gilgamesh led Berserker was just a small patch of green in this city, but it was free of mongrels and gave Gilgamesh enough space to fight. 

"Come," Archer beckoned, as he readied his sword. It was a long time since he last fought in hand-to-hand combat, but it wasn't a skill one would simply forget. Gilgamesh blocked the upcoming attack, but the next one pushed him back.

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes. That attack was stronger than a moment ago.

"I thought they were nothing more than gimmicks, but it seems that Command Seals can give even a mongrel like you a significant boost," Archer said with a sneer. There was no other explanation, as to why Berserker was suddenly able to get the upper hand. 

Berserker roared and attacked once more. This time, Gilgamesh didn't bother blocking with his sword, instead jumping backwards to avoid the attack. However, Berserker didn't stop at that. He kept moving forward, slashing with his sword. Gilgamesh kept blocking the attacks, but the sudden flurry of attacks was too much. One of the attacks finally disarmed Archer, making his sword fly away and dig itself into the patch of grass.

Berserker pulled his sword back, aiming it straight at his opponents heart with expert precision. There was no way to guard against this rapid attack.

But right as he moved to thrust his sword forward, Berserker stopped.

He roared in frustration, but his body wouldn't move.

Or rather, it couldn't move due to a golden chain wrapped around its body.

"You fought me believing I was Saber, so of course you would be blind to this kind of attack," Gilgamesh said with a smile. "I just needed to fool you for a moment, so your instincts would get dulled by your rage."

Gilgamesh walked away to pull the sword that was sticking out of the grass. He pulled it out, unhurried, while Berserker shook in anger.

"Don't bother. It's clear by now that your Master had abandoned you. They might have given you Command Seals as a parting gift, but your attacks have been slowly growing dull," Gilgamesh said, as he swung the sword to get off the earth sticking to the blade. "You are losing mana with each second."

Berserker roared in fury, but he was unable to free himself from chains binding his body. Gilgamesh slowly approached him.

"I could wait for you to run out of mana, but I'm in a hurry. So be grateful mongrel, for I will personally end this!" As Archer swung his sword, Berserker's head fell off. His body crumpled to the ground.

"Ar… thur…" Berserker muttered as his body disintegrated.

"Fool, you never stood a chance if you couldn't even see who your opponent was," Gilgamesh sneered. "But I guess you weren't even after victory. How ridiculous. All those Servants manifesting just to end their pathetic existence."

Gilgamesh shook his head, as he hid his sword inside the Gate of Babylon. He needed to find Irisviel. He could tell she was being transported to the east part of the city. It would probably be fastest to fly there with Vimana, but he had already wasted too much mana on Berserker. He should return to the Einzbern base and have one of the servants there take him by car.

He nodded in satisfaction, as he began moving towards the Einzbern's mansion. 

*

The spell required a lot of precision. There were a number of people around the blockade. Merlin needed to cast illusion on each and every one of them. Moreover, he would need to adapt what some of them saw. He swirled the staff that was sticking out of the car window. Several cars drove away, as their drivers tried to avoid colliding with a truck that didn't exist. This gave Saber a clear path as she ran over the blockade. Nobody noticed that. Even though the twisted metal fell to the side after she ran into it, nobody even moved their head in that direction. Rider followed after them, but nobody paid any attention to him either.

"Yes, now for the final step!" Merlin muttered, as he swung his staff for the last time.

One of the cars suddenly drove right where the blockade was. Only now everyone looked in that direction, as they saw the illusionary blockade get destroyed. They were completely obvious to the two vehicles that had breached the blockade earlier.

"Perfect!" Merlin said victoriously, but a second later, he felt himself uncomfortably pressed against the window he was sticking out of, as the car braked rapidly. It swerved to the side before coming to a stop.

Merlin was so focused on his spell, he hadn't even realized they had already reached the end of the bridge. Arthur and Kirei had already exited the car, preparing to intercept Rider.

"Don't just hang out the window," Saber scolded Merlin, as she walked off.

"Right, right," Merlin muttered, not having energy to argue. He knew he shouldn't have expected gratitude for the complex illusion he had just pulled off. As Merlin extracted himself out of the window and opened the door, he realized that Irisviel was groaning. He turned towards her, noticing the change in her mana.

"That power, Berserker must have been defeated then," Merlin muttered, quickly realizing what was going on. Now that another Servant died she was having trouble maintaining her human form. It was only thanks to the bracelet on her wrist that she was still able to cling to this form.

Caster narrowed his eyes, as he realized what it meant, and then slowly reached his hand out.

"I won't apologize to you, since I doubt you need my lies," he said, as he slipped the bracelet off her hand. The result was immediate, as Irisviel's body twisted, her human form peeling away. "Because everything I'm doing right now is for the sake of my king."

Caster moved to the driver seat and then drove off, not paying attention to the unsettling noises coming from the backseat.

*

Gilgamesh doubled over, just as he reached the gates of Einzbern's mansion.

The connection between him and Irisviel had been cut.

This was bad. Gilgamesh was still able to maintain his form due to the Independent Action skill, but he could tell that fighting in this state would be dangerous even for him. Any mana he used in this state would be gone, until he ran out of it completely.

If Saber managed to avoid his initial attack, she would be able to outlast him simply because she had a steady access to mana through her Master. He couldn't allow her to win simply due to an inane handicap like that. And that damn Kirei…

"This is what happens when you don't let the fruit ripen before trying to pick it up," Gilgamesh muttered in frustration. "When I get there, I will make sure they both regret—"

As Gilgamesh pushed open the gate, someone was standing there.

"Archer! Where is Irisviel?!" Kiritsugu asked, running towards him. He looked panicked.

Gilgamesh smirked. If Saber and Caster thought this was their victory, they had another thing coming.

"Rejoice mongrel," Gilgamesh said. "I will make a contract with you, after all."

*

"They are waiting for us," Rider said. Waver realized his Servant was right. Saber and her Master were standing at the end of the bridge, visibly ready for battle.

Rider pulled the chariot to a stop.

"Are you done running away, Saber?" he asked.

"I wasn't running away. I simply wanted to fight in a place where I won't have to worry about bystanders," she explained, as she stepped forward. "Now that we've reached a suitable space, I'm ready. I can face you with no worries."

"I guess you do have a point. This bridge is a nice place to hold a battle," Iskander admitted as he looked at the dawning sun, illuminating the bridge. 

"Yes, I will prove my ideals to you, here and now!" Saber proclaimed.

"Oh, you still hold a grudge. In that case, I guess I should go all out and prove that I was right!" Iskander proclaimed, as he raised his sword in an air. "Ionioi Hetairoi!"

The scenery warped as he did that. The bridge seemed to disappear, as white light engulfed it. Waver blinked as he once more saw the desert. But this time, it didn't disappear. It stayed there, as tangible as the bridge they had just left. Moreover, Waver wasn't standing in the chariot anymore, but was sitting on a horse along with Iskander.

"This is…" Saber muttered in confusion.

"It's a Reality Marble!" Kirei shouted in realization.

"That's right! A true king is never alone and I will prove it right here and now!"

Waver turned around as he heard the sound of countless footsteps, to witness an army gather behind Iskander. Under the blazing sun, they all gathered to share their king's dream of reaching Oceanos.

"Incredible!" Waver muttered.

"What do you say, King of Knights?! Do you still think the king must be alone?"

*

Arthur gritted her teeth. She knew Rider was baiting her, but his words still stung.

"Saber," she realized Kirei was standing by her side, looking at the army that was gathering before them. "You're not alone right now."

She blinked at Kirei, caught off guard.

"Were you trying to be supportive?"

"I was mostly wondering how many Command Seals I should use in this situation. I think your Noble Phantasm can tear down this Reality Marble, but it will need more firepower than usual," Kirei admitted.

Arthur smiled at that. That's right. She was holding on to her own ideals, after all. It didn't matter if she was alone or not—that light would keep shining.

"Saber, grant us victory!" Kirei commanded. He repeated that command using five Command Seals in total. Saber could feel the power surge through her as she began gathering power for her Noble Phantasm.

They could both see Rider's army charge at them, but it felt distant. Their shouts and the sound of their charge seemed washed out. That's right, Arthur never should have doubted herself. Her ideal would always guide her way.

"Sword of Promised Victory! Excaaaaaaaaalibuuuur!!!"

She didn't have to worry about collateral damage, so she swung the sword down without hesitation, letting the powerful blast slash through the sky, the earth, and the opposing army. The golden light enveloped all of it. The sky and the air cracked. The charging army shouted and fell into chaos.

In the middle of it all, Rider stood with one of his arms torn off, while his other arm held Waver. It seemed he had pulled him out of the way at the last second at the cost of his arm.

The scenery warped and a second later they were all back on the bridge. The desert and the fallen army were nowhere to be seen.

"That's a dangerous dream you are wielding," Iskander said.

"I overcame more adversity than you seem to believe. My dream isn't as fragile as to shatter due to your words," Arthur said.

"RIDER!"

It seemed Waver had only now realized that his Servant had lost an arm. He trembled as he reached towards it, but then stopped himself.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Rider. If only I was stronger…"

Rider gently patted his head with his remaining right hand.

"Don't worry about it. I was the one who underestimated our opponent. You should be laughing at me, boy," Iskander said. However, Waver shook his head.

"How could I laugh at you?! You are..."

Waver didn't finish his sentence as he choked on a sob. Tears were streaming down his face. Rider kept gently patting his head.

"It's alright, kid. You shouldn't blame yourself for this," Iskander said.

"It's not! It's—" Waver insisted, but then he stopped as he realized something. "I use these Command Seals to order you Rider, get better! Please get better! You need to get better and win!"

All of Waver's Command Seals were gone in an instant. The magic was already taking effect, golden particles manifested right where Iskander's arm used to be and a second later it reappeared leaving no trace of Saber's attack.

"It worked!" Waver muttered, as more tears appeared in his eyes. "It worked… I'm sorry, Rider. I'm sorry for being such an useless Master until now. Now you can finally be—"

However, Iskander silenced him by flicking his forehead. Waver fell back in shock.

"Idiot, first and foremost, aren't you my friend who joined me on the battlefield known as Holy Grail War?! Even if you are no longer a Master, that simple fact won't change."

"Rider," Waver muttered as more tears appeared in his eyes.

"That's why I want you to watch me. Wait here for my victorious return!"

Waver nodded at that. Finally, Iskander turned toward Saber.

"Thank you for giving me this time," he said. "If it was that Goldie, he would probably throw his weapons at me to hurry me up."

Arthur looked proudly at him.

"I don't look lightly on the bond between a king and his subjects. And I don't need to attack you at your moment of weakness to win."

"Are you sure?" Iskander asked, as he swung his regenerated arm. "You might have shattered my Noble Phantasm, but thanks to my Master, I'm now overflowing with power."

"That simply makes us even," Arthur proclaimed. "The bond you have with your Master might be strong, but ours won't lose."

"Hahaha, that's how you should be, Saber. I guess you are slowly starting to understand the path of conquest," Iskander said, as he prepared himself to charge at Saber. Bucephalus had been wounded by Saber's Noble Phantasm so Rider would have to fight on foot.

"No, I will never understand your ideals. And you will never understand mine."

"I guess that's how it is," Iskander agreed.

During this conversation, both Masters had backed away to give their Servants space to fight. Once Rider and Saber judged the distance to be sufficient, they both moved at once.

Their swords moved quickly as they clashed. Arthur kept circling around Rider slashing from the least expected angles, while Rider kept blocking her attacks. Still, he wasn't about to be forced into defense, so next time they clashed he pushed with all his might to disturb Saber's balance. For a second she lost her footing, giving Rider the opening he wanted. However, the moment he charged, Arthur's mana exploded. Rather than try to correct her posture she used her mana to give herself a boost and forcibly spun herself. Rider's attack was redirected by Arthur's spinning sword, this time making him lose the balance.

The second spin came a moment later leaving Iskander with a slash wound across his chest. It was shallow since it was impossible for Arthur to aim her sword properly while she was spinning. Still, she felt proud at being the first one to draw the blood in this duel.

"You keep surprising me, Saber. I felt like your fighting style was a lot more straightforward," Iskander muttered.

Arthur didn't reply, instead resuming her attacks. Once more Iskander found himself on the defence. 

The number of cuts on him had slowly started to grow. He was able to block the brunt of Saber's attack, but not all of them. There was no doubt, slowly but surely, Arthur was overwhelming him with her sword fighting skills.

"Just give up, Rider!" she shouted, as yet another attack left a cut on her opponent. "This is the end!"

However, Iskander just smiled.

"No, Saber, this is just a beginning! Gordius Wheel!"

A second later Saber was blown away by a powerful electric discharge coming from Rider's second Noble Phantasm.

*

"How long will you make me wait, mongrel?" Gilgamesh asked, impatiently tapping his foot on the ground to emphasize his point.

Kiritsugu was currently putting together a small arsenal that he planned to take with himself. Nothing too heavy, but deadly enough to deal with any enemy Master who would stand in his way. 

Or to be more precise with Kirei Kotomine.

"If they want to activate the Grail, they will need all the enemy Servants, which means they will have to wait for us anyway. They probably took defensive position in either Fuyuki City Hall or Church based on what you told me and are planning to deal with any challengers. If we go too early we might run into their fight with Rider, so it's better to go there with a small delay," Kiritsugu explained. 

"I don't care. I need to pay back those three for the humiliation they caused me," Gilgamesh said, not hiding his anger.

"I understand, but if I die early because I went into battle unprepared, it will also affect you," Kiritsugu pointed out. "Kotomine was shrewd enough to steal Irisviel right under our noses and he has battle experience to match his wits. I can't take him lightly."

Gilgamesh clicked his tongue.

"Fine," he said, reluctantly accepting Kiritsugu's opinion. "I will go catch a nap. But if you aren't ready before noon, I will go find them myself."

"I will be ready before that," Kiritsugu assured him.

Gilgamesh walked out of the room without a sound, while Kiritsugu returned to sorting his weapons. 

Kiritsugu had to make up for his previous mistakes—he had to make sure to win this war. 

*

"It seems you have forgotten, Saber, that I have more than one Noble Phantasm," Rider said, as he grinned. 

Arthur gritted her teeth as she realized he was right. She had let her guard down after she had dealt with his trump card that was Ionioi Hetairoi. She jumped back up, preparing to resume the battle.

"Don't let it rattle you, Saber! You still have the advantage!" Kirei shouted. He was using a spell that amplified his voice since he was at the end of the bridge, far away from them.

Kirei was right. Gordius Wheel wasn't nowhere near as dangerous as Ionioi Hetairoi would be. Besides, Saber still had plenty of power left from the Command Seals her Master used earlier.

However, there was one problem.

"Onward!" Rider shouted, as his chariot charged straight toward Arthur. She dodged, but even as she landed, Rider was already making a sharp turn to attack her once more.

To fire off Excalibur she needed to have enough distance between herself and the enemy. In fact, the further she was from her opponent the better. However, Rider must have realized that, because he was making sure to stay close to her. He was aware that his chariot gave him an advantage in close-quarter combat and was using it.

Saber avoided another three charges of Rider's chariot, but there were no openings. The moment she regained her footing after dodging the attack, Rider was already swerving to renew his attack. Arthur had no choice, but to keep dodging. 

However, the battle of attrition was disadvantageous for her. They didn't know when Archer would catch up to them. If he joined this battle, Saber probably wouldn't be able to handle both of them. For that reason, their plan was to have Merlin stall enemy Servants, so that Arthur could deal with them one by one.

Unfortunately, due to Rider's tenacity they had to modify their plan and split with Merlin to ensure the safety of the Grail.

Arthur jumped out of the chariot's way once more, but the second she regained her footing she could already see Iskander making a sharp turn and aiming at her once more.

"Saber, prepare to fire Excalibur right after the next attack!" Kirei shouted.

"It will be dangerous!" Arthur shouted back. Her Master should have been aware of that. She had explained the particulars of her Noble Phantasm to him.

"Trust me!" he shouted. It seemed he had some kind of plan. "I will give you the signal."

Arthur smiled. If Kirei put it like that, she had no choice. She jumped to the side, barely avoiding electric discharge from the carriage and prepared to fire her Noble Phantasm as soon as she landed. However, she couldn't fire it. Rider had already finished making a turn and was rushing straight toward her. Saber stood in place watching as his chariot came closer and closer to her. She could feel the electric discharge it created in the air. Could see the bulls pulling the chariot in full detail now. 

In a second, those bulls would trample her.

And then she felt a sudden pull. She hadn't heard the words and yet she felt echoes of them resonating with her.

"With my Command Seals I order you! Come to my side!"

Next thing she knew, the bulls were no longer before her. She was almost a kilometer away at the other side of the bridge. Kirei quickly moved behind her, clearing the line of fire.

"Now!" he shouted, while Arthur aimed for the Rider. Their eyes met, as Iskander noticed her far away from him and he attempted to swerve to avoid her attack, but it was too late.

"EXCALIBUR!!!!!"

The white beam moved along the bridge. The sound of Arthur's Noble Phantasm discharge was mixed with the rumbling of the asphalt as it cracked in a few places.

Arthur's Noble Phantasm devoured everything on the road, including the mighty King of Conquerors. The attack was gone in a flash, and when Saber's eyes adjusted she realized there was nothing on the bridge anymore.

There was only a faint tint of gold as if a Servant had just disappeared.

*

Waver was huddled on the ground.

The beam attack had barely missed him. It ran across the whole length of the bridge, barely stopping before the blockade.

The scary part was that Saber probably held back to avoid collateral damage. Her previous attack was several times bigger.

Some part of Waver understood. Even Rider, even he wouldn't be able to survive this.

However, Waver promised to watch Iskander. That's why once the attack ended he ran. He ran towards the place where he had last seen Rider.

But there was nothing there. Only the smell of burnt asphalt and the distant bustling of the city filled the bridge now.

He was no longer here.

Waver fell to his knees.

He wasn't sure how longer he just knelt in place hoping his senses were deceiving him. However, when he came to himself, Saber and her Master were standing before him.

"I defeated Rider," she proclaimed, succinctly.

Waver could feel the tears form in his eyes, but he tried to squash them.

"I know… I saw…" he muttered. It felt as if his lips moved on its own.

He wasn't ready for this. He thought he would still spend more time with Rider. That there would be more to their adventure.

But it was over. Their time together ended prematurely and now Waver could do nothing, but choke on the regrets.

"You should go," Saber said. "The battle for the Grail will soon end."

Waver nodded, but he didn't move. He couldn't find the strength to move.

"I'm sure Rider would want you to survive," she added after a moment.

Waver found himself rising from the ground. That's right. Rider would want him to survive.

"I will go now," he said. He wasn't sure if he was talking to Saber or himself. "I no longer have a reason to continue fighting."

"You should keep your head up," Saber said, as he walked away. "Even if I disagreed with him, you have served a worthy king."

Waver was glad he had his back to her, because he couldn't stop his tears after hearing those words.

*

Merlin was sitting in a conference hall of Fuyuki City Hall, leaning on the podium placed in the middle of it. He was glad he finally found time to read through the diary he got from Gilgamesh. Given how much trouble he went through to obtain it, it would be disappointing if the war ended before he had time to peruse its contents.

And so far it was proving to be an interesting read. Einzberns were definitely up to something, though Merlin had yet to read far enough to figure out what exactly it was. Still, it seemed he was on the right track.

A sudden swell of power, distracted him. He looked up at the Grail that hung in the air above the podium. 

"They must have defeated Rider," he muttered to himself. With three Servants left the battle was truly entering its final stage.

However, that only made Merlin's foreboding grow stronger. He could tell that something was off about the Grail.

He returned to reading the diary with renewed concentration.

Merlin needed to figure out what was going on before Arthur's inevitable victory.

*

"How are you holding up, Master?" Arthur asked, while the two of them walked towards Fuyuki City Hall. Due to the evacuation order and early hour, there was almost no one around.

"My magic circuits are fine, Saber. The Command Seals are helping to substitute the large amounts of mana I would have used otherwise," Kirei replied.

Arthur sighed.

"That's not what I mean." When Kirei gave her a puzzled look, she replied with a bitter look on her face, "You are smiling, Master."

Kirei raised his hand and touched his own lips as if he needed to confirm her words.

"You've been smiling ever since you saw Rider's Master," Arthur clarified.

Kirei forcefully wiped the smile of his face. He was scowling now.

"I see," he muttered. He looked disappointed in himself.

Saber pursed her lips, trying to not display her conflicted emotions.

Her Master still hadn't done anything bad. Sure, they abducted Archer's Master, but her true form was that of a Grail. She felt a bit guilty about the additional Command Seals, but they were the last gift that Kirei's father left for him. Kirei was now trying to use them to achieve a dream of making his parents happy. He too wanted to change the past into a happier one.

It would be hypocritical of Arthur to deny him.

"It won't be long, so please be careful, Master," she said.

 _I'd rather not have to cut you down,_ remained unsaid, but she knew Kirei understood. He was smart and insightful. Part of Arthur wished Kirei could find some future after this war, but it was impossible. His happiness could only be built on other people's despair.

They both understood that Kirei Kotomine was someone that couldn't be allowed to live.

Arthur tried to imagine killing him. She made a promise to stop him if he lost himself, after all.

She knew he probably wouldn't resist her. Kirei was trusting her to make a rightful judgement, now that he himself was starting to lose his grip on morality. If she proclaimed him a sinner, he would accept his punishment. He might put up a token resistance, due to instinctive responses honed by the years of battle experience he possessed, but that would be it. 

But there was one more thing she was sure of now.

If she attempted to kill him, Kirei would be smiling. He was perceptive enough to notice—Arthur wouldn't be able to murder him without feeling grief.

And he would rejoice over it. Even if the end result was his own death, her Master would find happiness in it.

Saber wasn't sure what to feel. It was at once a reassuring and extremely pitiful vision.

Arthur hoped she would never have to experience it.

*

"Couldn't you find a better car after I've generously given you abundant time to prepare?" Gilgamesh asked, as he squinted at the car. It could have been worse, given Kiritsugu's absolute lack of taste, but it still left a lot to desire.

"This is just a temporary mode of transportation. Apparently, the bridge had been damaged and it's closed off. We will only use this car to reach the river and then use a boat to get to the other side," Kiritsugu explained.

Gilgamesh considered using Vimana, but he would have to let Kiritsugu board it, which was out of question. That mongrel would never understand how much of an honour it was.

Besides, there was only so much mana Kiritsugu's second-rate magic circuits could provide. Maintaining Vimana would probably suck dry his pitiful pool of mana.

Gilgamesh sighed. The lengths he had to go through to have his revenge on Caster, Saber, and her Master…

"Fine, but you'd better make sure we reach the river fast!" Gilgamesh shouted, aggressively taking his seat.

*

Kiritsugu sighed in relief, seeing Archer enter the car, but at the same time he couldn't stop his worries.

Convincing Gilgamesh to board the fishing boat they had rented would probably be even more difficult.

*

The unfinished halls of Fuyuki City Hall felt oppressive. Or maybe it was because it felt like an accurate representation of Kirei's mind—cold, unrefined, and abject. Yes, this half-finished building was a fitting stage for his final stand in this Holy Grail War. With only its exterior and the main hall finished, it created an illusion of a grand building, but in practice it was unusable.

As Kirei and Saber reached the main hall, they heard a familiar voice.

"Finally! If it wasn't for the Grail, I would start to think you have ditched me!" Merlin complained, waving to them from the scene. 

Kirei couldn't help wondering why, even now, Merlin was trying to maintain the illusion of humanity. Was he trying to fool others or maybe himself?

Kirei thought of his own lie—the years he spent believing himself to be a good, faithful person. He thought of it and how easily it had all crumbled.

Maybe Merlin was, in fact, the better of the two of them if he could cling to the beautiful lie, even in the face of the ruthless reality.

"Even if we did, you would just come running," Saber complained, as she and Kirei slowly walked towards the podium. "You should be glad that you had time to rest because we still need to take out Archer."

"I know, but before that there is something I really need to tell you," Caster said, his voice more serious this time. "It's about the Grail."

That caught their attention.

"Is something wrong with the Grail?" Saber asked, her voice betraying her fear.

"Yes, I've been looking into it ever since the war started, but for the longest time I couldn't figure out what was going on," he explained. Then he raised a book he was holding in the air. "However, I have recently acquired—"

For a second, Kirei thought that Merlin stopped halfway through his sentence because he was trying to be dramatic, but then a loud crash resounded through the main hall. Someone had jumped through one of the windows and landed in the back row of the spectator seats.

Kirei felt a myriad of emotions, as the person straightened revealing themselves—it was none other than Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"Teacher," Kirei muttered. He could feel the corners of his mouth raise in a smile. His hand was shaking, even as he twisted it into a fist.

This was bad. This was so bad.

This was good. This was so good.

"Kirei! Caster! Explain what you two think you are doing?!" Tokiomi demanded, as he slowly walked out of the row of seats and started to walk towards the podium.

Kirei swallowed as he realized he would have no choice, but to confront his mentor.

What face would Tokiomi make once he heard his student had betrayed him? What kind of despair would be painted on it when he died by Kirei's hand? How much would his wife and daughter grieve for him?

He wanted to see it. He wanted to see it so badly, his skin was crawling. Kirei almost didn't notice that Tokiomi had climbed the stage they were standing on. The proximity wasn't helping to quell his urges. It just made him more aware of all the different ways he could kill his mentor.

"I can explain this, Master!" Caster assured him, trying to sound more sure than he looked. He moved closer towards his Master, as if to act like a shield between Kirei and Tokiomi.

Saber was tense at Kirei's side, clearly ready to draw her sword at the moment's notice.

"No, you stay quiet, Caster!" Tokiomi said, using the tip of his staff to push Merlin away. "I had enough of your lies and half-truths."

Wasn't it ironic? Even now Tokiomi still trusted Kirei more than his own Servant.

"Did Caster do something to displease you, teacher?" Kirei asked, slowly. It was all too easy to slip into the role of an obedient student. He could see Tokiomi put his guard down at this familiar display.

"He'd been sneaking around since the start of the war. He even had a gall to suggest you are going to betray me. I dismissed his words as nothing but mad ravings back then. _However_..." This time the tip of Tokiomi's staff aimed at Kirei. "Your actions have been worrying. Are you trying to betray me, Kirei?"

Kirei swallowed, not from anxiety, but excitement.

It would be so easy to say yes. So easy to let out the ugliness festering inside of him, just to be able to see Tokiomi's disgusted reaction. It would be the truth and good pupils don't lie to their mentors, do they? And shouldn't Tokiomi take responsibility for Kirei's twisted nature? He never paid enough attention to notice. He never wanted to see. So really, wouldn't this be his own fault? Willfully closing your eyes to evil was also a sin.

However, before Kirei could gather his thoughts, Merlin once more stepped between the two of them.

"That's not actually important right now! What's important is that the Grail is contaminated!" he shouted.

His words made everyone freeze in place. Even Kirei found himself pulled out of his sinful temptations.

"Grail?" he repeated.

"Is contaminated?" Saber asked.

"Yes! During the last war, Einzberns summoned a Servant that didn't belong to any of the seven classes. They hoped he would be powerful enough to win the war for them, but they misunderstood. That Servant wasn't the strongest. Their role was to be a symbol of evil. And because they were weak, they got defeated and absorbed by the Grail."

"But that was during the last war," Saber tried to argue.

"Yes, but the Grail never manifested during the last war," Merlin explained. "So it's contents are still there—Angra Mainyu, All the World's Evil. That's the being that is currently fused with the Grail."

Kirei took a step back. His thoughts were racing, as he realized what that meant.

"You… you really are serious…" Saber muttered in disbelief. "You think that Grail was corrupted."

"Nonsense!" Tokiomi said, shaking his head. "The Grail isn't such a fragile thing to be contaminated by just any curse."

Caster glared at his Master.

"This isn't just any curse. This is the strongest curse in existence! The second the Grail will manifest all the malice that's currently sealed in it will spill out!" he shouted, clearly trying to convey the danger.

Kirei realized that what startled him the most weren't Merlin's words.

No, it was his tone. For the first time, Kirei couldn't detect any artificial feelings in his words. His frustration, his desperation, his anger—they were all his genuine emotions.

It was real. Merlin's reaction could only mean that this was the truth. The Grail was contaminated. There would be no miracle to save Kirei. No, he should have known that such a miracle couldn't exist in the first place.

No, from the beginning, Kirei had no chance for salvation.

"Wait, are you saying it's impossible to make a wish upon the Grail in this state?!" Saber demanded. It was clear from her expression that she was refusing to accept the reality.

"I would advise against it. There's no way to tell what—"

"That's enough!" Tokiomi shouted. Merlin and Saber fell silent at once. "I've had enough of your lies, Caster!"

"It's not a lie!" Merlin clenched his fists. His voice was wavering with strong emotions, making him sound almost like a different person. "I've been looking into it since the war began. I—" 

"And how could you know what Einzberns did in the previous war?!" Tokiomi pointed out. "This is nothing but a lie. You discovered what my wish was and now you are trying to discourage me from winning the war," Tokiomi accused him.

"Your wish is exactly the same as all other extremely boring mages!" Merlin snapped back at his Master. "If you don't want your Servant to figure that out make sure to not summon someone who has more knowledge on the topic than you!"

"Wait, what are you talking about?!" Saber demanded, visibly lost.

"The Holy Grail War was a ritual that was created to reach the Root. By sacrificing all the Servants and gathering their power inside the Holy Grail, they planned to open the path to mage's greatest dream," Kirei explained, still reeling from Merlin's revelation. Kirei wasn't even thinking about his words, just mindlessly reciting what he had learned from Tokiomi.

"Why are you telling her that, Kirei?!" Tokiomi shouted, flabbergasted.

Kirei looked at him, his eyes empty.

"It doesn't matter anymore. If the Grail is broken, then I… what is there left for me?!" he asked, his voice breaking down. It felt as if he was being swallowed by an abyss with nothing to stop his fall. He fell to his knees, the despair overtaking him.

"I see, so you really planned to betray me. I guess I misjudged you," Tokiomi said, clearly disappointed. "Caster, intercept Saber."

"But…"

"Do it. Or are you planning to betray me too?" Tokiomi asked, his voice steely.

Saber moved, as she heard those words, but a second later her body stopped. Her gaze was unfocused, as her mind got caught in Merlin's illusion.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Kirei didn't move from where he was kneeling. He just laughed as Tokiomi's words kept repeating in your head. _I guess I misjudged you._ Wasn't that the truth? Everyone kept seeing only what they wanted to see in Kirei. Now that he was no longer a useful tool Tokiomi would get rid of him. Burn the ugly truth of who Kirei Kotomine is into ash.

Wouldn't that be okay, though? He might have wrapped it into nicer words, but at the end of the day what he was trying to do was nothing more than an elaborate suicide. Wouldn't it be fine to just let Tokiomi end it here?

No.

Before Kirei knew it, his body had prepared to move. He could see Tokiomi raise his staff. But he would be too slow. Kirei was faster and more used to life and death battles. He could do it. He could reach Tokiomi before he finished casting his spell.

If he did, Kirei would finally taste it. The happiness that kept eluding him all this time. He didn't want to die while never feeling true joy. It was fine if Saber killed him afterwards. He just wanted to feel it for one transient moment. Drink in the despair on his mentor's face. Spill his blood of the person who trusted him.

It happened in an instant. Tokiomi's heart was pierced by a blade.

And once more Kirei could do nothing, but watch. He was the only one to witness the moment when Tokiomi got betrayed by his own Servant.

*

Arthur blinked as the illusion she was caught in broke suddenly. Even though she knew her senses were invaded, she couldn't break through Merlin's magic. He knew her well enough to craft a spell that would be difficult for her to deal with.

The sight that greeted her made her hold her breath. Merlin was holding a replica of Excalibur, which had pierced through his Master's heart. Kirei was standing frozen. He had been visibly aiming to attack Tokiomi, but was too late.

Tokiomi's body fell forward as the sword that pierced through him disappeared. Kirei was still unmoving, his face twisted in shock, as he stared at his mentor.

"I'm sorry, but it looks like I won't be able to participate with you in the final battle," Merlin said, his white robes stained with the blood of his Master. His voice was eerily calm.

"Why?" Arthur asked. She couldn't understand. Merlin was always such a self-serving, no-good…

Merlin smiled at her. There was something heart-breaking about the smile he gave her.

"Because I already failed you," he explained. "But your Master hadn't yet. So between the two of us, it would have been better if I was the one to disappoint you."

"That's…" Arthur started, but couldn't find words. She had no idea how to feel about the fact that Merlin betrayed his own Master for her. She lowered her head. "Why did you even participate in this Holy Grail War?!"

Merlin tilted his head.

"I guess I just wanted to see you find a happy ending," he admitted after a second. "I hoped you would use the Grail to find your own happiness, but I should have known better. And then it turned out your Master had his own problems, and the matter with Grail…"

"Merlin," Arthur muttered her voice softer. The sad smile on Caster's face was hard for her to bear. Merlin never truly looked sad. He would pretend to be, but once you got to know him, you could easily tell whenever he faked it.

But his sadness wasn't false. Not this time.

"I don't regret it," he admitted. "I will disappear in a moment, but it's better than if I did nothing to stop the tragedy that was about to happen. So please, don't grieve after this no-good incubus, King Arthur."

"You can't tell me not to grieve my subject, Merlin," Saber replied, feeling tears gather in her eyes. "I don't know what to do now. What is left for me?"

"You should decide for yourself. I don't want you to be controlled by your destiny anymore," Merlin said. His silhouette was starting to shimmer. It was obvious that he was quickly losing mana. 

Saber shook her head. "I never blamed you or my father for that! What I hated was that you left when I needed you the most! Why are you doing it again?!"

This time Merlin was the one to shake his head.

"But I'm not leaving you alone. Your Master is still here. It might be hard, but I know you can do it this time," he said, gently. He came closer and rubbed the tears off Saber's face with his robe. "Let me give you one final gift."

Merlin spread his arms, as he gathered what was left of his magic.

"Wait!" Arthur shouted as she realized what Merlin was going to do, but it was too late.

The whole scenery changed. They were no longer on the stage of Fuyuki City Hall. Instead, they were on a plain filled with hundreds of blooming flowers. In the distance Arthur could see a floating tower. The weather was pleasantly sunny and the whole place exuded a deep sense of tranquility.

Despite never seeing it, Saber immediately knew what place this was.

"Garden of Avalon!" Merlin said, as he finished summoning his Noble Phantasm.

Arthur sighed heavily. Just looking at this scenery seemed to calm her heart. Even Kirei seemed to have regained himself a bit. As he looked at the blooming flowers, the light once more returned to his eyes.

However, without a Master, Merlin couldn't maintain his Noble Phantasm. Even though it had been summoned for less than a dozen seconds, Caster was already starting to disappear.

"Please remember, King Arthur. Once your hardships are over, you will be able to rest here. No matter what happens this garden will always be open to you. So please…"

Despite the fact that he had almost completely disappeared he was still smiling.

"...never lose hope."

With those final words, both the scenery full of blooming flowers and Merlin dispersed as if they were nothing more than an illusion.


	7. Those Forsaken by Avalon

"Master! Master, are you alright?!"

Kirei slowly moved his head as Saber's words finally reached him. Even though she was standing right next to him, it felt like there was a wide distance between them.

Kirei slowly shook his head. Now that the flowers disappeared, Kirei could once more see the dead body of his mentor. Tears pooled in his eyes, as the reality finally hit him.

"He's dead," Kirei muttered. He could feel his gut twist at this sight. Tokiomi was frowning, but there was no anger or despair on his face. He died before he could even realize that his own Servant betrayed him. "Caster killed him."

Saber gave him a stern look.

"Master," she said, her voice carrying a warning.

"I know," Kirei muttered. "I know, it's just… my heart is still so empty..." 

Even though Kirei knew it was wrong, it was hard for him not to grieve over this lost chance. Saber lowered her gaze.

"What are we going to do now, Master? With the Grail."

They both looked upwards at the chalice hanging above their heads. The answer to that question was obvious, but neither of them wanted to voice it.

Even if they knew it was the _right thing_ to do, they were hesitant to give up on their wishes.

Suddenly, the stretching silence was interrupted by a ringing noise.

"It must be an alarm that Merlin set up," Saber said. To make sure there would be no trouble when it came to the flow of his mana, Merlin must have included Tokiomi as someone who could enter Fuyuki City Hall as he pleased. Even if Caster was now gone, the alarm system and magical traps he set up using the leylines as a power source were still functional.

"I know their location!" Saber said suddenly, turning towards Kirei. "There's two of them."

"Merlin must have given you access to the magical defenses he set up," Kirei said, as he nodded.

"I think it's Gilgamesh and… isn't that Assassin's Master?" she repeated in surprise.

"Kiritsugu Emiya? He's here?" Kirei asked, feeling his interest suddenly rise.

That's right. Everything happened so fast that he had almost forgotten about him. Kirei was sure that after Assassin's death he would have resigned, but it seemed he had hung around long enough to secure a contract with Archer.

"Yes. Do you want us to intercept them, Master?"

"Yes, let's do that," Kirei said with a nod. "Once I face him I should have no more regrets. So once we defeat them, we should do it. We will end this Holy Grail War."

His voice was quiet, but full of resolve. Saber gave her silent approval. They still had unfinished business to take care off.

*

Before they moved, they decided to place Tokiomi's body in one of the seats in the back row, rather than leave it lying on the stage. They didn't want it to be the first thing they would see once they returned to the Grail. In some way, his corpse was a symbol of their failure, so it was natural they wanted to keep it out of sight.

As a result, Tokiomi's corpse was the only witness to the moment when Grail finally tore through the spells that Merlin put around it to slow down the progress of the ritual. A gap appeared in the air. It was small at first, but quickly grew in size, as it tore through the remaining resistance of Merlin's spell. A black something started to flow into the Grail. It resembled mud, though anyone who saw it would know immediately that it was something unnatural.

The Grail immediately overflowed and the mud started to gather on the floor. Since Tokiomi's corpse was in the elevated tier in the back row, he was still far away from it.

But soon nothing would be safe from the quickly pooling cursed mud.

*

Kiritsugu barely managed to avoid the magical explosion that filled the corridor.

Gilgamesh just glared at it, holding some sort of artifact that protected him from the explosion.

"Caster could have held back on those pathetic traps," Archer said, sounding annoyed. He moved forward without even waiting for the smoke to clear up.

Hesitantly, Kiritsugu followed him.

The empty corridors of Fuyuki City Hall created a perfect maze for setting up traps. Kiritsugu and Gilgamesh had run into several already. Kiritsugu had a few shallow wounds from when he wasn't quick enough to dodge.

"Are those pathetic traps proving to be too much of an obstacle for you, King of Heroes?" a familiar voice asked.

Kiritsugu watched as Saber walked in from beyond the dust cloud that was filling the corridor.

"Hardly, I was just getting tired of waiting for you to appear. These traps aren't threatening enough to dispel my boredom," Gilgamesh said, haughtily.

Saber's expression was one of annoyance. Surprisingly, a moment later she moved her gaze towards Kiritsugu.

"Kiritsugu Emiya, my Master is waiting to face you in the storage space. You can reach it if you take the corridor on the left. There are no traps on the way," she said. It sounded like she had prepared the speech beforehand.

"And how do I know Caster isn't waiting there to ambush me?" Kiritsugu asked. Saber might have been a knight, but he couldn't dismiss the possibility that Kotomine ordered her to lie.

Saber narrowed her eyes.

"Caster was defeated. Archer and I are the final Servants of this war," she explained. Even though her voice was calm, there was a tinge of sadness to her voice. Somehow Kiritsugu found himself unable to doubt that claim. "Besides now that you can't ambush him, my Master won't lose against you!"

That stung. Kiritsugu clicked his tongue, but then moved in the direction Saber indicated. 

He wasn't afraid anymore. All he could think about was victory.

*

Kirei was praying, as he stood waiting in the storage space underneath the stage. He and Saber decided to split up to ensure that he wouldn't get in Saber's way during fighting. By placing himself in the same direction as the Grail, he was also making it easier for her to maneuver. She would need to make sure that no stray attacks reached the Grail anyway. While they both wanted to destroy the Grail, they knew they couldn't be careless. If it truly contained a curse, then destroying it could potentially unleash it. They would need to destroy the Greater Grail first.

However, right now all Kirei could think of was Kiritsugu Emiya.

It wasn't like Kirei expected to find an answer at this point. In a way he already had at the moment when, together with Saber, he had witnessed Avalon. However, neither of them were ready to grasp that answer at this point. They still had unfinished business—loose ends that kept them unable to stop the Holy Grail War just yet.

That's right, even if there would be no answer to be found in this encounter, Kirei would still need to face off against Kiritsugu Emiya.

As if answering his prayers, his enemy had emerged from the corridor leading to the empty storage space where Kirei was waiting. Even though he had to know that Kirei was waiting for him here, Kiritsugu still narrowed his brows.

"Kirei Kotomine," he spat out.

"Kiritsugu Emiya… Now that we are finally facing off, tell me, what do you wish upon the Grail."

*

"What happened to Merlin?"

Saber didn't quite expect that question from Gilgamesh, but it made sense. He always held a certain amount of respect for Mage of Flowers. He might have been surprised that he was defeated so easily.

"He sacrificed himself so I could face off against you, right now," Saber explained succinctly. There was no point in a more complex explanation. Besides, she had a feeling Gilgamesh wasn't really interested in the details, but rather the root cause of Merlin's defeat. 

"I see, so that fool managed to find the penance he was looking for. I was sure he would end up running away once more," Gilgamesh said dismissively.

Saber gripped the hilt of her sword tighter.

"Indeed he was a fool. However, now that he left Grail in my hands I would be even more of a fool if I let myself be defeated here," she said, strongly. Her eyes shone as she pointed her sword at Gilgamesh. "I will defeat you here and now, King of Heroes!"

Archer merely smirked at that.

"I would love to see you try," he said as dozens of golden ripples appeared before him. "Because the despair on your face, once you realize how impossible winning against me is, will be most exquisite!"

*

"Why should I tell you my wish for the Grail?" Kiritsugu asked, feeling wary. He was keeping his gun aimed at Kotomine.

"Once we start fighting, one of us will end up dead. So right now is the last chance for me to satisfy my curiosity. I don't mind providing you with some information in return. Since one of us will end up dead, it really doesn't matter, does it?" Kotomine explained. His voice was completely calm, his gaze void of deceit.

Kiritsugu wanted to do nothing more than to bulldoze the obstacle before him, but Kotomine did have a point. Besides it was doubtful that Archer would lose to Saber. Buying time so that Gilgamesh would finish her worked in Kiritsugu's favour, since as a knight Saber would surely make sure that none of her attacks hit her Master.

Kiritsugu didn't lower his gun as he said, "My wish is to save the world."

He could see the surprise on Kotomine's face and the disappointed look that followed it. It made Kiritsugu despise him even more.

"Do you have a method in mind?" Kotomine asked, sounding as if he wanted to make sure he heard correctly.

"No, I'm going to rely on the Grail to realize my wish in the most fitting way," Kiritsugu said.

Kotomine shook his head in response.

"Your wish will not come true," he muttered. Kiritsugu could feel his irritation rise.

"Even if you look down on my dream, it won't stop me!"

Kotomine shook his head once more.

"The childish nature of your dream aside, there is something you aren't aware of. Before he had died, Caster had ascertained that there is a curse inside the Grail," he explained.

Kiritsugu made sure not to let Kotomine's words affect him. Trusting the enemy would be a height of folly.

"And why should I believe you?" Kiritsugu asked.

"Because if you make such a formless wish upon the Grail, the curse can affect its interpretation. If you plan to proceed with it, I will have no choice, but to stop you," Kotomine explained.

"Cut the crap! You were already planning to kill me. You think I can't tell?!" Kiritsugu shouted as he fired several rounds from his gun. He knew it would be ineffective, but this was mostly a ploy to bait Kotomine into close combat. As the priest charged at him, channeling his magic into the Black Keys to shield himself from bullets, Kiritsugu pulled the gun loaded with origin bullets.

The battle ended in an instant, as the origin bullet did absolutely nothing despite hitting Kotomine's prana-charged Black Keys. Kiritsugu didn't have time to dodge, but he still tried. The attack didn't kill him instantly, but the punch definitely broke his ribs, while making Kiritsugu fly backwards. He felt the air escape him as he hit the wall.

Kotomine clicked his tongue, probably disappointed that the fight ended so soon. Kiritsugu tried to move, but the intense pain he was in stopped him in place. Kotomine slowly approached him, pulling a Black Key. Kiritsugu could see a satisfied grin split Kotomine's face.

"This is the end," he announced, as he raised his hand to pierce Kiritsugu's heart with his weapon.

Exactly at this moment, the black mud that was gathering in the main hall broke through the ceiling, flooding the two men.

*

Arthur ran through the corridors of Fuyuki City Halls as she dodged the flurry of weapons assaulting her.

Her plan was to lead Gilgamesh towards the main hall and use the abundance of free space there to finish the fight with one decisive attack of her Noble Phantasm. However, Gilgamesh must have seen through her plan as he cut off the path leading to the main hall with several weapons that embedded themselves into the wall. Saber had no choice but to alter her route. Unfortunately, that resulted in Gilgamesh gaining a better strategic position. He was now placed between Saber and Grail effectively blocking her from using Excalibur. Not that it would be a good idea to use it in the narrow corridors of Fuyuki City Hall. Luckily, they were also hindering Archer's attacks, since it was hard to aim weapons with so little space. Most of them missed Saber completely, instead hitting ceiling, walls, and floor.

Still, it wasn't as if Saber didn't have a plan. As she ran through the extremely long, straight corridor she kept looking for a sign.

She took a turn and finally reached the doors leading to a staircase. She kicked them open and then quickly jumped onto the stairs, barely avoiding several swords. Once she reached the upper floor she slammed through the door.

Fortunately, just as she expected the corridor on the upper floor mirrored the one below.

"Don't think you can escape me!" Archer shouted, as several weapons pierced through the floor. However, Arthur wasn't going to wait for her opponent to catch up.

She clenched Excalibur tightly, as she aimed it behind her. Before her was a long straight corridor.

"Strike Air!" Arthur shouted, as she released Invisible Wind coating her sword. It exploded, blocking another volley of weapons that Gilgamesh aimed at her, and propelling Saber forward like a bullet. She immediately found herself at the end of the corridor. With perfect timing, she kicked off the wall to make a turn. She didn't stop even as she landed. She could hear several weapons hit the wall behind her, but it didn't matter.

In a few seconds, she would reach the main hall and then she could finally turn the tides of battle in her favour.

*

Kiritsugu blinked as he stood on a familiar beach. As he looked up into the darkened sky, he saw a black hole which gleamed ominously. A black rain was falling from it.

"It can't be," Kiritsugu muttered to himself.

"I knew you would come," a familiar voice said. Kiritsugu turned around to see Irisviel. Despite the black rain that kept pouring from the sky, her white dress remained immaculate. "Now your wish shall be granted, Kiritsugu."

Kiritsugu aimed his gun at her.

"Who are you?"

The fake Irisviel just smiled at him. At that moment, Kiritsugu realized that what Kotomine told him might not have been a lie.

*  
Kirei stared at Irisviel. They were both in Fuyuki church, which was miraculously intact. There were no traces of Berserker's attack.

"So you are the manifestation of the Holy Grail," Kirei said, as he looked at the being before him. He immediately knew it couldn't be the real Irisviel. The real one died the moment she transformed into the Lesser Grail.

"My, you are pretty smart. However, since my vessel seems to be biased against you, it's Kiritsugu whose wish will be granted," she said, visibly satisfied with the fact that it won't be Kirei whose wish will be granted.

"No, the reason why you are going after him is because he is still foolishly pursuing his formless dream. Since I understand the truth, you can't take advantage of me," Kirei pointed out.

However, fake Irisviel smiled at that.

"Are you implying you don't have a wish? How foolish. All humans have a wish. And I can see the one deep within your heart," she said confidently.

The next second, Kirei wasn't standing in the church, but in a familiar hospital room.

"I love you," Claudia, his wife, said, before she used the knife in her hand.

Kirei shouted, but he couldn't move his body.

However, another Kirei could. Kirei blinked as he realized that there was another him, who had managed to reach Claudia and disarm her. He was holding her down to make sure she wouldn't attempt to take her own life. That other Kirei looked scared.

A second later his hand moved, but it wasn't because he wanted to free his wife. No, his hands moved from her wrists to the neck.

The real Kirei wanted to avert his gaze, but couldn't. His body was frozen in place, forcing him to watch as fake Kirei slowly strangled his wife. He could hear her struggle, and he could see her face distort in fear as she realized what a terrible person her husband was. 

It was painful to watch, it was disgusting, it was…

...it was exhilarating.

Life faded from Claudia, leaving only her pitiful corpse and the other Kirei. He was crying, but those weren't tears of sadness or regret. No, it was the pure joy that had moved him.

The scenery changed. Kirei was once more forced to watch, as the other Kirei used a knife to stab his father in the back. Then he pulled it out and stabbed him again, and again. Kirei could tell that the other him was purposefully missing vital organs, just to make sure that Risei's suffering lasted longer. The old priest was crying, pleading to God for salvation and forgiveness for his son, even as he kept being stabbed.

But there would be no salvation. The only thing left was a mutilated corpse and the other Kirei who stood above him. He kept laughing, even as the blood of his own father dripped down his frock.

...Kirei was so…

Kirei watched as his double killed some of his acquaintances. Poison, betrayal, backstabbing—there was no method he wouldn't stoop to. No person he exempted from the suffering he wished to inflict.

...so envious…

The other Kirei slowly walked toward his teacher as the two of them discussed the strategies for this Holy Grail War. Tokiomi never suspected anything. Kirei simply took the ritual dagger that was lying on the table and then pierced Tokiomi's heart.

"How could you" was all Tokiomi managed to get out before he died. Kirei watched as his corpse hit the floor with a satisfying thud. He never felt so refreshed. Though his heart was beating faster than usual, his thoughts were calm. This was it; this was what he had chased after for so long.

"Father? Are you there, father?" a quiet voice asked. Kirei put the dagger back on the table before he slowly approached the door. As he opened it, he saw Tokiomi's daughter. Rin Tohsaka glared at him, but then lowered her gaze. "Can I see father, I—"

Kirei kneeled, so he would be more level with her.

"Your father is busy. He can't meet you right now," Kirei explained.

Rin glanced around, visibly hesitant. 

"Then could you pass a message to him? Once he is done with the important things," she asked, timidly. She seemed bothered by the fact that she needed to rely on Kirei.

He smiled.

"Don't worry. It won't be long." He didn't even notice when his hands moved, before he found himself strangling the child before him. "Soon you will be able to tell him yourself."

She was so innocent, so fragile. He could easily snap her neck if he wanted. Or he could kill her in some other ways. He could make her drink some of Tokiomi's potions and watch her suffer from the side effects of mixing them. Or maybe use fire magic to burn her alive. Kirei only knew the basic fire spells, but Tohsakas prided themselves on their elemental magic. Surely, this would be a fitting way for their bloodline to end.

Kirei smiled, as his grip on Rin's throat tightened.

It was wrong. This whole situation was wrong, but he couldn't let go. Even as his hands shook, his hold on Rin's throat remained steady.

He pushed...

And then he opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor, which was wet and slightly sticky. Kirei tried to push himself up, but a sound of safety being taken off right next to him stopped him.

Kiritsugu Emiya had woken up before him.

*

"The tables have turned," Kiritsugu said. He couldn't see Kotomine's expression, since his head was still facing down, but it was obvious he was shaking.

"The Grail…" Kotomine muttered, disorientated. However, he must have recalled what had happened. After waking up, Kiritsugu remembered not only the test he was put through which culminated in him being cursed by the Grail, but also the temptation Kotomine faced. There was no doubt in Kiritsugu's mind now. Kirei Kotomine was nothing more than an unrepentant villain.

Kotomine was shaking, but even then Kiritsugu could faintly see the shadow of a smile on his lips.

"No! It isn't! It isn't my wish! It's not! It's not! IT'S NOT!!!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the empty storage space.

A loud bang immediately swallowed his voice. Another few bangs followed. Kiritsugu kneeled to make sure, but there was no doubt—Kirei Kotomine was dead, his heart stopped beating.

Despite the pain, Kiritsugu moved back to the door he used to come here. He felt empty inside, but at least he had a new goal now.

He needed to destroy the Grail. Like a true hero of justice, he would sacrifice everything for the sake of others, even his own dream of peace.

*

Before they went out to confront enemies, Kirei suggested giving Avalon back to Arthur.

She was caught off guard by this suggestion. Arthur hesitated for a moment, but then refused.

"You already used another three Command Seals to prepare me for this fight. That's more than enough. Rather than that I wish for you to hold onto Avalon, so I can fight knowing that you are safe, Master."

Kirei didn't seem completely convinced by her answer, but he nodded.

Arthur was serious. The whole Holy Grail War was marked by her failure to protect her Master. Which was why she had wished for him to hold onto Avalon until the very end of this war. So she could give it her all fighting Archer. So she could bring him victory just as she promised.

So when Arthur burst through the door onto the main hall and felt the connection between her and Kirei snap, she was shocked.

She couldn't even properly register the destruction of the stage. All she could think of was that she needed to reach her Master. If she got close to him, then maybe the healing power of Avalon could still— 

However, as she jumped towards the destroyed stage, she was stopped. Something wrapped itself around her ankle and then swung her into the wall.

She shouted in pain. Now that the connection between her and her Master had been severed she felt the mana quickly escaping from her. She tried to free herself from the chain wrapped around her ankle, but before she could pry it off, it pulled her into the air and then smacked her into the floor. Due to the impact, she ended up letting go of her sword, and it fell down a few rows below.

"How pitiful of you, Saber. You were so confident at the start of our battle, but now you are nothing more than a wreck crawling on the floor."

To accentuate his words, he pulled her up and smacked her a few times more using his chain. Saber tried to cushion the impact, but she was struggling to apply her mana effectively for that purpose. If it wasn't for the Command Seals, which Kirei used to strengthen her, she would have probably already disappeared.

"Oh, is that me or are you running low on mana, Saber?" Archer said, having noticed her peril. He smiled. "It would be boring if you just disappeared on me, so how about this? Become my wife and I will make sure to keep you materialized. Give up on all your wishes and ideals and swear yourself to me."

Saber gritted her teeth. How could he even suggest something like that?!

"Never! The only person I swore my allegiance to in this war was my Master! I won't—"

Before she could finish her words, the chain flung her across the hall, making her hit the ruined stage. However, she didn't mind. Kirei was underneath the stage so maybe now that she was closer Avalon could activate and—

"How dare you refuse?!" he shouted. "Guess I was too lenient. I will kill your Master before your very eyes and then—"

Saber blinked as she realized Archer's voice had cut off. She looked up to see he had his hand raised. Rather than bladed weapons, a dozen magical staffs were sticking out of Gate Babylon.

"You… mongrel…" Gilgamesh hissed. It was only then that Arthur noticed there was someone else. At the entrance to the hall, there was a battered figure of Kiritsugu Emiya. He was a distance away, so she couldn't hear him, but even then she realized what was happening. She could see that all the staffs were aimed at the Grail.

"No!" she shouted. Her Master was underneath the stage. Moreover, from what Kirei told her, this was only the Lesser Grail. It wasn't a true body of the Grail, but rather its manifestation. And if it was destroyed carelessly…

"Curse you, Kiritsugu!" Archer shouted, as the staffs behind him all fired at once creating a powerful beam of magical energy that swallowed the Grail. Saber could see Archer disintegrate after having used all the mana for that one attack. It wasn't surprising. The attack was so powerful that it destroyed the ceiling of the building along with the Grail. Saber barely avoided the attack due to the fact that she wasn't at the scene, but at its base. However, as she looked up she realized it wasn't the end. Right above her was a huge hole in the sky.

Arthur could only watch as black mud fell from it, drowning her and most of the building in the stream of curses.

*

There was nothing but curses. Sins and evil swirled around in the never-ending cascade of hatred, lust, gluttony, pride, sloth, malevolence…

That's right, this is the true state of the world.

Something was wrong, there should have been nothing but curses here, yet something had acknowledged the evil swirling around. Something had affirmed it.

Only denial should have existed in this cursed space.

Yes, I deny you, but that act of opposition is in a way also act of affirmation. It's something I should have realized sooner.

How could denial be an affirmation? Everything was ugly in this cursed world? What was there to realize? What was there to gain in this cursed space?

Isn't that obvious? For ugliness to exist, so there must be beauty. For evil to exist, there must also be good to vanquish it. I was foolish not to realize it sooner. I believed it was a sin that I didn't understand my subjects, but from the beginning there couldn't be an understanding. Good and evil are never supposed to truly understand each other. They must always oppose each other.

That's right.

A perfect king can only exist in a world that opposes them. A perfect king can only ever be alone, as everything else is sinful except for the king. That king must never understand evil, nor the evil world should ever understand the king.

The mud questioned the existence of a being known as a king, but that was a contradiction. An entity could not exist in this cursed space. 

"Yes, you oppose me and in turn I oppose you. You despise me, but I have no understanding of your hatred. Feel shame as you gaze upon me, my sinful subjects."

The black mud cracked, as a girl broke through it. Even though her armour was darkened from the mud, her gaze remained steady. There was no hesitation in her, as she announced.

"Rejoice, for I will purify your sinful existence! As the enemy of evil, Arthur Pendragon, I swear to bring you salvation in your death!"

Having thrown away all her doubts, the King of Knights had been reborn as the perfect king she had always strived to be.

*

Kirei blinked, as someone shook him.

Immediately, he was assaulted by a stench of burning flesh and smoke. There were distant sounds of screams and destruction coming from all directions.

Before him was a face of his Servant, but something was different about her. Her eyes were more cruel and her armour had turned black.

"Saber? ...what happened?" he muttered, trying to push himself up.

"We were drenched in the contents of the Grail, Kirei," she announced.

Kirei blinked more caught off guard by her use of his first name than the actual explanation.

"I thought I died," he muttered after a moment. He remembered being shot by Emiya. He touched his chest. "I have no heartbeat."

"Yes, I was too far away for Avalon to have enough power to save you, but it seems that the mud from the Grail had become a substitute for your heart," Saber explained. "As long as the Grail exists it will probably keep you alive."

Kirei shook his head, deciding he would worry about this matter later.

"Did the war end?" he asked.

"This one? Yes, Kiritsugu Emiya had foolishly destroyed the Lesser Grail, spilling its contents on us and this neighbourhood," she explained calmly. "This is why everything around us is on fire."

It was only then that Kirei grasped the scale of the disaster surrounding them. The sounds of destruction and cries of despair were ringing in his ears. The smoke and stench of burnt flesh made him feel alive.

This was… this was as if the Grail had granted the wish he held deep within his heart.

Kirei immediately tried to straighten his thoughts, but he couldn't concentrate. All his senses were enjoying the disaster around them.

Wasn't it fine? It's not like it was Kirei's fault? It was Emiya who foolishly destroyed the Grail. That's right. It was him, so it was fine. He could enjoy himself a bit. He worked so hard for so long. Endured so much for nothing. This was— 

"Kirei!" It was only when Saber slapped him in the face that Kirei came to himself.

He blinked, as his mind steadied enough to realize something.

"Aren't you going to try and save people?" he asked. Now that he thought about it, it was weird that Saber was standing in place.

"I already saved someone," she pointed out. It took Kirei a second to realize she was talking about him. Before he could answer, she took his hand and pulled him along, "Come with me."

"Where?"

Saber didn't answer. It seemed she didn't see the need to. Kirei tried to think rationally, but it was hard.

The suffering and despair surrounding him seemed so beautiful and radiant. It felt as if Kirei was comprehending the world for the first time. He always viewed it as boring and dull, but at this moment it truly shone in his eyes.

Yes, even if Kirei were to die right now he would have no regrets.

Saber suddenly stopped. It took Kirei a second to realize why.

Lying amidst the rubble was a person. A boy with orange hair, whose body was covered in burns. He was barely breathing, but was desperately clinging to life.

Saber pulled his hand, pushing him towards the boy. She said nothing. She didn't need to. Kirei understood perfectly—this was a test. He had been drenched in a cursed mud, but even before that he had a predisposition towards sin. In order to ascertain whether or not he had become evil, Saber was now testing him.

It didn't matter that the test was obvious. The odds were stacked against him to begin with. In this hell they found themselves in, Kirei's true nature was surfacing like an oil poured into water.

Kirei stepped forward and kneeled before the child. He looked like an average boy other than his unusual hair color. Kirei touched his cheek and used some basic magic to ascertain his wounds and to slightly stabilize his condition.

It didn't look good. The long-time exposure to smoke and flames had wrecked this child's body. There was no way Kirei's basic healing magic could save him. 

Wouldn't it be just better to end his life, if he was going to die anyway? The softness of his flesh reminded Kirei of the vision he saw in the Grail. Just like Rin, he would be so easy to kill. Just a bit of pressure on his throat and he would die. 

Kirei's hand moved from the kid's cheek to the throat. The boy showed no resistance. Kirei doubted he was even conscious at this point. His blank brown eyes didn't seem to reflect anything.

Kirei's left hand moved, joining the right one around the child's neck. The lack of reaction was almost disappointing, but it would do. Kirei wanted to join the beautiful world surrounding him. He wanted to taste the pleasure of unfairly ending this child's life. All he needed to do was apply just a bit of pressure…

However, his hand didn't move. It wasn't because Saber was standing behind him ready to take his life. Nor was it because of some sort of goodness he had found in himself.

No, it was because he had suddenly realized that the empty eyes of the boy before him were just like his. Hopeless eyes filled with no joy or sadness. There was only emptiness, stretching endlessly.

If this boy lived would he be able to find happiness? Or would he spend his years fruitlessly searching for something that would fill the void in his soul like Kirei did? He wanted to know. He wanted to see where this child's life would lead.

Kirei didn't even realize when he let go of the boy's throat, instead moving his arms before himself.

As he concentrated, Avalon manifested in his arms. Kirei could feel the magic radiating from it. Slowly, he pushed the artifact inside of the boy. As he finished the transfer, the improvement was immediate. The burns healed, and light returned to the boy's eyes. He coughed.

Kirei could hear the sound of Saber sheathing her sword, but it didn't matter.

It might have been nothing more than a paper-thin excuse, but it was enough. He had a reason to move forward that wasn't steeped in sin.

*

When the boy opened his eyes, he saw the man before him cry. He didn't understand why he was crying, but the relief on his face spoke for itself. That image burned itself into the boy's memory.

It was one of his first and most precious memories.

*

Kiritsugu walked through the hellish landscape desperately hoping to save someone, but all that surrounded him were corpses.

He could barely move due to the damage he sustained in the fight with Kotomine and the curse the Grail had placed on him, but he stubbornly kept moving forward.

"...Emiya…"

Kiritsugu turned his head, suddenly hearing his surname. What he saw was a wreck of a man. 

Most of the man's body had been burned and it seemed he could barely speak, but what caught Kiritsugu's attention were two kids he was leading. It was obvious he had shielded them from the flames with his own body.

Kiritsugu rushed towards them, but he could see it was too late.

It was too late to save Kariya Matou.

"...please… take care… of… them…" he muttered, before slumping down. Kiritsugu held him, mostly to make sure he didn't fall on the kids. The two children looked at him.

"Is he dead?" the boy asked. His voice was shaking.

"Yes," Kiritsugu said, feeling his heart clench.

"Liar! He said he wouldn't leave us alone!" the boy shouted, but he immediately started coughing from smoke. Kiritsugu quickly pushed the corpse away, instead focusing on the children.

"I'm sorry," Kiritsugu said. It was his fault those children lost their guardian. It was all his fault.

"Why are you apologizing?! He's the one who died!" the boy shouted. His words were insensitive, but it was obvious that he felt hurt, because he cared about Kariya Matou.

Kiritsugu embraced the two children.

"I'm sorry. I will make sure to take care of you, so please forgive him," Kiritsugu muttered, as he felt tears roll down his cheeks. "Please."

The boy started to quietly sob. The girl was eerily quiet, but Kiritsugu was sure it was only a matter of time before her emotions caught up to her.

Yes, he could never make up for the tragedy he caused, but he could at least take care of those two children.

*

After Iskander had been defeated, Waver returned to the house he had used as his hideout.

He tried to hold back his tears as he thanked the older couple with which he stayed for the past few days. He decided to go on a journey. He needed to become stronger if he ever wanted to be able to call himself Iskander's companion.

He only learned about the tragedy that happened in the Fuyuki's Shinto area the next day.

*

"How was the funeral?" Saber asked.

Ah, no, she was no longer Saber. Kirei needed to get used to her new identity, now that she got incarnated.

"It was as you would expect, Sister Arthur," he replied. He managed to forge some documents, creating a new identity for Saber as a nun. This way she could stay at the church without drawing much attention to herself. Surprisingly, the nun outfit suited her more than he thought.

"You probably kept being all too happy about seeing people in mourning," Saber accused him.

Kirei didn't deny it. There was no point in doing that. Now that he was aware of his own wretched nature, he was going to at least enjoy what little graces he could.

"I did my best to comfort Rin. Though, I'm not sure how effective it was, since she seems to blame me for not protecting her father during the Holy Grail War," he explained.

Saber snorted. Kirei was still getting used to how she changed after being bathed in mud. Her core didn't really change, but her demeanor was different. She was less polite, less patient, and more prone to criticizing others.

Not that Kirei hated that. Her criticisms were helping keep him in check.

"Speaking of Holy Grail War, did you find any leads as to where the Greater Grail is?" Saber asked.

Kirei shook his head.

"I will keep searching, but it's possible that Tokiomi hid that information somewhere outside of my reach. I wouldn't be surprised if he only wished to pass it onto his daughter." Saber made a loud sigh. "Don't be impatient. Since you don't have your mana, we can't use your Noble Phantasm to destroy it, anyway. And given that you shot down my idea of using orphans as mana batteries, we will have to use some very slow methods."

Saber glared at him.

"That joke wasn't funny the first time, Kirei," she warned him. "You know what happens if I catch you harming children."

"Yes, though I do hope you will make an exception for the martial arts training. Rin will come next week to start hers."

Saber looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I will be supervising that," she announced. "Will Shirou take part, too?"

"Yes, he seemed most intent to start learning as quickly as possible, so I agreed to it. Given Rin's competitive attitude having a sparring partner her age will do wonders for her growth."

Saber sighed.

"I still don't get why Shirou wants to become an Executor. I didn't expect him to want to follow in your footsteps so much," she muttered, clearly dissatisfied.

Kirei had suspicions as to the reason, but there was no point in voicing them. It was more interesting to silently observe the direction of Shirou's growth.

"I'm glad you at least didn't let him apply immediately," Saber added.

"It would be boring if Shirou went down a set path. It's better to give him a necessary skillset and then observe what road he will take," Kirei explained.

"He might end up taking part in the Holy Grail War if he keeps going like this," she pointed out. Kirei smiled.

"Oh, and do you plan to stop him, if he decides to do so?" he asked, spreading his arms as if inviting her to answer.

Saber crossed her arms.

"Of course, not. There's no point in that."

Kirei walked forward to stand by Saber's side. Together they watched the sunset paint the church red through the recently fixed stained glass window. 

"That's right. Because we will make sure the next Holy Grail War will be the last one."


End file.
